Suzakus Orakuru
by Sapphire5
Summary: Finished. When Suzaku and Seiryu were sealed away, a rift was created in that world. From that rift a dark evil was born that means to destroy everything. Meanwhile, the world is faced with another threat, one that comes around once every 500 years.
1. Prologue: Cataclysm

Disclaimer: _Fushigi Yugi: The Mysterious Play_ was created by Yu Watase, who has real claim to it, along with people at Pioneer Entertainment, Shogakukan, Flower Comics, Bandai, Studio Pierrot, TV Tokyo, and anyone else on this seemingly endless list that I forgot to mention. Fushigi Yugi characters were used without permission. This story was created for other Fushigi Yugi fans to enjoy. No money is being made from this fic.  
  
Overall Warnings: Language (Tasuki's a main character, what do you expect?) and adult situations. Rated PG-13.

Notes: Hi! I'm Sapphire. This is my writing debut! You are about to read my story called "Oracles of the Four Gods: Suzaku's Orakuru." I am currently in the process of writing the concluding parts, but in the end it will be between twenty-five and thirty parts (but each part is a maximum of four pages on a word processor, you'll be glad to know). I sincerely hope you enjoy my story. ~Sapphire

Notes 2: When a character introduces him or herself, another character, or uses a full name in speech, the name is in Japanese form of surname, personal name. When I use a full name in the narration, I revert to the American form of personal name, surname. I personally prefer the American form because that's what I'm most familiar with, but to be true to the characters and their culture, I decided to have them use the form that they would be most familiar with were they real people. ~Sapphire

Notes 3: I have been revising and editing the chapters I've already uploaded to tweak some details and make the story move a little better. I've also come across some inconsistencies I'm trying to correct. This will help me work out a few glitches in my plot so I can finally get the rest of Suzaku's Orakuru posted, and start posting for the next installment of "Oracles of the Four Gods" entitled Oracle's Destiny. 

Introduction: WhenYui and Miaka sealed away Suzaku and Seiryu, it created a rift in the balance of the Universe of the Four Gods. From that rift a dark evil was born. For three years that evil has gone unnoticed and been allowed to grow. Now it threatens to destroy the very gods themselves. With the Suzaku no Miko and Seiryu no Miko unable to return through the book to that world, there seems to be nothing that can stand in the way of the evil's power. Meanwhile, the very stars of the gods are about to align, an event that only comes once every 500 years. With this cosmic event, another danger exists, but in this there lies hope…

Oracles of the Four Gods 

Suzaku's Orakuru 

By: Sapphire

Prologue ~ Cataclysm 

"I am so late," Danno Toya muttered to himself as he silently tried to will the stoplight to turn green. "Aneko is going to be irate." He impatiently drummed his fingers on the steering wheel in time to the rapid swiping of the windshield wipers on the rain-spattered windshield. "This is the third time this week," he let the car roll forward a bit, "and I cancelled on her twice last week." He groaned. "Why did I have to go into advertising? Why couldn't I have a normal job, nine to five..." he trailed off as the stoplight finally turned green. "It's about time..." he mumbled.

The tires squealed as he hit the gas and sped across the empty intersection. As he raced along the street, pushing the speed of his car well past the posted limit, a strange blue light shot out of the center of the road. "What the hell?!" he shouted, cranking the wheel to the side, trying to avoid whatever was making the light. The tires didn't respond well on the rain-slicked pavement, and the car slid sideways right onto the source of the light emanating from the ground. His eyes opened wide in terror as he saw his car careen toward a streetlight pole. He never felt the impact.

@-^---

  
An old, ancient face turned toward an enormous, ornate mirror. She sensed a surge of power in the balance of the world. The surge had felt almost- electric to her. The reflective glass of the mirror shimmered with the aftershock of the surge.

"Show me the origins of the disturbance," she commanded the mirror. The glass glimmered a moment, and a scene began to appear before her. A dank, dirty, and deserted city alley was revealed. Almost deserted. Lying in the damp gutter was a young man. He was a tall and lanky youth with dark blue-green hair and strange other world clothes. The old woman nodded to herself. "So the third has arrived," she mumbled, "Seiryu had finally called you."

  
@-^---

Unexpectedly there was a tremor in the very air he breathed. Chichiri looked around the council chamber, cautious not to let his uneasiness show. This was not the first time he'd sensed something like this. He'd felt something similar twice before, and each time his senses picked it up more sharply. He thought, perhaps, this was because he was coming to expect these tremors.

It was clear, after a moment, that the cause was not an immediate threat to himself or those around him. He settled back in his seat and turned his attention to the council. He noticed the Empress' face was turned in his general direction. Despite the outward appearance of the focus of her eyes, he knew she was watching him. He gave her an apologetic look, then turned to listen to what the empress' chief advisor was saying.

@-^---

Tasuki looked around the camp. Men lay haphazardly around the fire, sleeping off the celebratory drinking that had taken place the night before. His Seishi senses had alerted him to...something, and his eyes darted automatically to the inconspicuous supply crates that contained the loot they'd taken the day before. The camp was secure; all the guards still stood at their posts. Nothing was amiss, and yet...Tasuki felt something was different. He suddenly had an indescribable urge to be moving. He didn't want to be where he was anymore.

"_Maybe I'm just paranoid about the loot_," Tasuki thought to himself. "_I'll feel better when we get it safe up on Mt. Leikaku_." It was time to wake up some lazy asses.

@-^---

  
Yoshi Toya looked at his sobbing wife as he hung up the phone. She knew. He sighed with a heavy heart, feeling mostly numb. The voice at the back of his head told him he ought to reach out to his wife.

"Kuri," he mumbled soothingly, taking her up in his arms, crushing her to him, holding her close. She buried her face in the collar of his shirt and continued to weep. Yoshi thought he should do something, say something, react somehow, but he had no desire to do so. He was empty of all feeling. "Kuri." There were no other words to be said. She already knew. There were things that needed to be done. Things that needed to be taken care of. First, though, he had to comfort his wife. "Kuri." he said again, hugging her to him, rocking her back and fourth.

"He's gone," she sobbed. "Our son. Gone." Yoshi suddenly felt a wave of grief hit him. So powerful was the wave that he burst out into his own relentless sobs. The words, the simple truth of her words had brought it all home to him.

"He's gone," he replied through his own tears. "Danno's dead."  
  
@-^---

  
Danno was late. He'd been late before, but not this late. It just wasn't like him, especially without word. Normally he would call, say he would be late. Not this time. She had a terrible feeling in the pit of her stomach, as if her internal organs were twisted into knots. What could have happened to him?

She hated being worried sick like this. She decided she had to do something or she would go nuts. She reached for her phone and pressed the speed dial for his apartment. The other end of the line rang. Then it rang again. After the third ring, the answering machine picked up. "Moshimoshi. Toya Danno here. I'm not home right now, as usual, so leave a message." There was a beep and then silence. She placed the handset back into the cradle. She didn't feel much like leaving a message. She thought a moment as she stared out her apartment window at the street far below. She picked up the phone again, selecting a second number on her speed dial. She waited while the call went through and the phone on the other end rang.

  
@-^---

  
"Hello. Toya Yoshi here," Yoshi glanced at his wife. They had both cried themselves out for the moment. They had debated leaving the phone, but Yoshi had decided it might be the police again with more information. He waited for an answer, dread like a lump in his throat.

"Father Yoshi," a familiar but worried feminine voice replied nervously.

"Aneko." He thought he felt dread before he knew who was on the line. This was far worse. Kuri looked at him, tears welling up in her eyes anew. "Aneko, you sound troubled," Yoshi managed to say without sounding too upset.

"Father Yoshi, I'm worried, about Danno." The young woman sounded extremely agitated. "He's late, and he hasn't called. I don't know where he is. Have you heard from him at all?" She waited with nervous impatience for him to answer, and the reply was long in coming.

"Aneko, you know that Mother Kuri and I love you like our own daughter, don't you?" he asked.

"Of course," she said, then paused. The silence was deafening to Yoshi. "What- what happened," Aneko said, fear foremost in her voice. "What's wrong? What happened to Danno?" She was almost desperate now.

"Aneko," Yoshi said, tears springing to his own eyes. He hated to be the bearer of bad news, and over the telephone as well. "Danno was in a crash," he said.

"What!" the young woman was frantic. "Where is he? Is he okay? What hospital-"

"Aneko!" Yoshi was afraid she would never cease her tirade if he did not quell her rising anxiety immediately. She fell silent. "Aneko, I'm afraid it's bad," he said.

"How bad?" she managed to squeak back.

"He didn't make it," Yoshi said, emotion raw in his voice. He sniffed back the sobs that threatened to overtake him again. His wife lay a comforting hand on his arm. He could not look at her right then, afraid if he saw her tears he would break down once again, when Aneko needed him to be strong for her.

"Didn't...make...it?" she stumbled over the words in disbelief.

"He died instantly," Yoshi managed to relay over the cold, lifeless, and unfeeling telephone. He hated that thing right then.

"Died?" the word was barely a whisper.

"Yes," Yoshi said. "Aneko?" There was no reply, only silence, for a very long time. He waited patiently, until the silence dragged on far too long for his own comfort. "Aneko?" Yoshi felt nothing but compassion for the young woman on the other end of the line, sitting there all alone. There was still silence. He was beginning to become very worried when all of a sudden a faint whimper carried across the city through the wire. There was a loud clatter as the phone was undoubtedly dropped to the floor. Heart wrenching sobs followed, but there was nothing he could do. He could not reach out to her as he had his wife. She was alone. More than he really knew, she was alone.

@-^---

To be continued…

End Notes: Okay, you're probably thinking, "Who the heck are these people?" All will be answered in due time. ~Sapphire


	2. Part One: The Red Light

Disclaimer: _Fushigi Yugi: The Mysterious Play_ was created by Yu Watase, who has real claim to it, along with some other corporate-type people. In other words, it's not mine. (Prologue holds a blanket disclaimer for all parts.)  
  
Warnings: This part rated G. Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes: If you're reading this… I'm so happy! I hope you enjoy my story. This part deals mostly with one of my own characters, but Empress Houki gets a scene, as does Taiitsukun. Tasuki and Chichiri are feeling a little left out. It's that exposition thing that made me do it! Honest! They'll get their fifteen minutes of glory…or something more than that. ~Sapphire

"Oracles of the Four Gods"

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part One ~ The Red Light

The gray mists swirled with the wind, intermingling with the newly fallen leaves scattered along the path, causing them to dance at Aneko's feet. A second gust came up, forcing the damp chill of the air right through her long wool jacket. A shiver made it's way up her spine, her skin prickling with goose bumps. She reached a delicate hand up to push her wayward brown hair away from her face, only to reveal the traces of tears that lingered in her big blue eyes. What was to become of her now, she wondered as fresh tears came unbidden, and trailed down her flushed cheeks. What would she do without Danno? Danno had been everything to her...or had he?

"_Where did that thought come from_?" Aneko suddenly wondered, wiping the dampness from her face. "_I love Danno, don't I_?"

Of course she loved him, she reasoned. She had, after all, agreed to marry him. He would have been her protector, her provider, the one person she could have counted on to see her through the struggles of life, and her life, from the time she was very young, had been filled with struggle. Her marriage to Danno Toya would have ended that struggle. She would have been freed of her past. "_Was that why_? _Was that the reason I loved him_? _Because I was using him_?" she asked herself. "_Was I just lying to myself, and to Danno_?"

"I truly thought I loved him," she said aloud. "I didn't mean to lie to him. I didn't!" Aneko burst into tears, her newfound guilt adding to her grief. "Why did he have to die? Why?" Aneko threw herself to the soft, damp ground, letting herself release some of her anguish in the solitude provided by the dense woods. When the storm of emotional turmoil ebbed, she picked herself up off the ground, and continued along the forest path in her wanderings to nowhere.

Emotionally spent, Aneko let her mind go blank, not wanting to think any more on her troubles or her grief. In this exhausted state, she blindly went forward, not knowing why she followed the path she did, or where it would lead to. She only felt that she must continue moving forward, for some inexplicable reason, and was consciously unaware of her actions.

Ahead of her, materializing from the mists, was a tall signpost. Aneko didn't see it until she had nearly run into it. Startled, she looked up at the old wooden sign. GENBU GROTTO it read in large writing.

"_What kind of place is this_?" Aneko wondered as she looked at the clearing in the direction the sign pointed. She had never been this far into the woods before, and had never seen, nor heard mention of it. To her it looked like a barren hole in an otherwise lush surrounding. Not even grass grew on the barren rock of the clearing. What she felt was a strong lure to enter that dark place. At the far end of the clearing was a very high, sheer, rock wall that stretched up to conjoin with the mountain. The trees grew right up to the wall on the outer edge of the clearing. The rest of the wall was bare rock, blackened as if a fire had been burned at it's base, and a huge section seemed to have been cut away, creating a cave. In a way it looked as if something had exploded there, like dynamite, leaving behind concave indentations in the uneven ground as if the granite itself had been blown partly away. Aneko shuddered and turned, starting back along the path she had come from.

Something stopped her in her tracks. There was some force, some mesmerizing attraction, that pulled at her very soul. Aneko slowly turned once again to face the barren place called Genbu Grotto. It was beckoning to her, and Aneko was frightened by it. She wanted to leave, but something more powerful than her own desires compelled her forward, drawing her into the heart of the grotto itself. Before she realized it, she was treading on the blackened ground.

"What is it about this place?" she whispered nervously to herself. Her deep blue eyes meticulously scrutinized the entire circumference of the clearing, trying to pierce the mists, searching out anything that might be of harm to her. There was a presence there, she felt, some imposing entity that she could not name.

As she walked in ever tightening circles, Aneko failed to notice the beginnings of a red glow at the very center of the grotto. Closer and closer she drew until both of her feet rested upon the center ground. Suddenly, from beneath her, a red light shot from the ground engulfing her in it's warm glow.

  
"What's happening!?" she exclaimed as she felt herself pulled into the light itself.  
  
  
~~~~

  
The Ancient One watched her mirror as the last traces of burning power faded from the latest surge. So it had come to pass. All four had come. Now to gather them all together so their destinies could be satisfied once again, and the world would be assured continuance. She sighed. She was old, and was beginning to feel her age.

"_But that's to be expected_," she thought. "_I can't live forever, I'm not immortal_." She contemplated what that meant to her. She had yet to complete the most important work of her life. It would not be easy, but she was wise, and had spent her life working for this task. Without a doubt, she knew she was ready. As she turned from the mirror, she felt an upheaval in the balance of the world.

"Something evil, something dangerous," she said aloud, reading the undercurrent of power in that imbalance. "Mirror, show me this disturbance." The mirror began to shimmer as an image came to it's reflective glass...  
  
  
~~~~

  
"_How much more of this can I take_?" the violet eyed woman asked herself without betraying a single outward hint as to her inner thoughts. She groaned inwardly as the high ranking men around her shouted at one another, arguing over how best to spend the last of the tax money that had not yet been allotted to a cause. "_I wish something more exciting would happen once in a while_," she thought wistfully. The merest glimmer of a moment after that though had occurred to her, she felt a tremble beneath her. Her big violet eyes grew wide, with surprise. "_Be careful what you wish for_," she thought fleetingly.

Within seconds the entire council table was rattling, and those gathered around it were bouncing around in their chairs. Before the shaking could grow more intense, her personal bodyguard appeared at her side, pulling her from her chair.

"Your Highness!" he shouted over the roar of the shaking earth. "Come with me! Quickly!" She could see the very walls of the room ballooning out and then bending back inward as if the room itself were a breathing lung. The instability of the structure frightened her. She rose from her chair and followed after her guard, stumbling over the hems of her own skirts as they were bounced along the floor. The councilors rose and started after them, all intent on leaving the uncertain strength of the walls and roof above them. As the Empress and her bodyguard reached the door, the heaving earth beneath them became violent. Finely grained debris rained down onto her head. She glanced up through squinting eyes to see the ceiling crack above her.

"Your Highness!" the bodyguard shouted, grabbing hold of her and throwing the both of them out the door. The roof above shuddered as it began to collapse in on the council chamber. The guard managed to pull her to the relative safety of a courtyard before the entire structure collapsed with a thunderous roar. Then, slowly, the earth beneath them came to rest.

"Was that-" the woman began breathlessly.

"Yes, Empress-Regent," the bodyguard confirmed, "an earthquake."

"But those never happen here!" the Empress was aghast. Suddenly she felt ill. "My son!" she exclaimed, "Captain Hikaru, I must find my son!"

"Of course, Highness," the man agreed, helping her off the ground. They hurried through the palace complex, in search of the young prince. As they went from pavilion to pavilion, the Empress became more distraught at her son's absence. "Shall we try the park?" Captain Hikaru asked when the young prince was not in the royal apartments. The Empress nodded, and raced off in that direction.

"Mama!" the high-pitched shout echoed off the walls of the main pavilion. The Empress spun around to see her three-year-old son racing toward her. 

"Boushin!" she was overjoyed to see him unharmed, and scooped him up off the ground and hugged him close. "Boushin, I'm so glad you're safe." The little boy slipped his two little arms around her neck and held on tight, hugging her back. "It's all right now, everything is all right."

~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: Still with me? I love you! No really. **sigh** Well, if you have any comments, feel free to send them my way. ~Sapphire


	3. Part Two: Strange Land

Disclaimer: Fushigi Yuugi isn't mine. There, that's what you wanted to know, isn't it?

Warnings: This part is rated G. Overall rating of PG-13 due to language and adult situations.

Notes: Hello again! There's exposition all over this place. No Chiri or Fang-boy. Sorry, but this part is short! Anyway, I wish you Happy Reading! ~Sapphire

"Oracles of the Four Gods"

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Two ~ Strange Land

Aneko opened her eyes, blinking at the brightness of day as the red light faded away. She was surrounded by vibrant green leaves, swaying as they dangled from their branches with dappled sunlight filtering through. Hadn't she just been standing in a clearing of the misty woods? A light breeze passed over her, ruffling her messy hair. She reached a hand up and pushed the wayward locks out of her face as she took in the scents carried on the wind. She could smell damp earth, recent rain, and sun-warmed grass. "_This isn't right_," she thought to herself, confused and disoriented. "_It's autumn_." Startled, she sat up, only to find herself lying in the green summer foliage of a forest floor.

There had been mist, thick drifting mist, and it had been cold. Dead, brown leaves had crumpled noisily as she walked along the deserted paths in lonely solitude. She couldn't exactly recall why she'd been there. There had to be a reason, she mused, as it wasn't like her to wander alone. Try as she might she couldn't recall the reason. She only felt strange pangs of sadness in her heart. She shook it off and concentrated again on what she remembered. There had been a cave; a little cave and a very strange clearing. She could visualize the uneven, blackened ground and she recalled the strange feeling of being held there by some invisible force. Then there was a strange light; a red light that seemed to swallow her up. That was all.

Slowly, she rose from the ground and scrutinized her new surroundings. It seemed both alien and familiar to her at the same time. She wondered if this was how Rip VanWinkle had felt when he woke after a 20 year nap.

To her right, the forest deepened, growing darker and denser. To her left, the trees thinned and she could see sky beyond them. She brushed off her navy blue skirt and started walking toward the patches of sky. If she made her way out of the trees, she thought, she would be able to figure out where she was.

Aneko gaped breathlessly as she came out of the trees atop a high hill. Below her lay a village nestled against the side of the towering hill. Beyond that lay a vast landscape covered in fields of grain and rice, interrupted only by the dots of intermittent farms. Far beyond that she could just make out the edge of a large city. It looked nothing like the cities she knew, though. There was no skyline of towering skyscrapers, no glow of distant city lights, and no smog hanging over the city in a hazy cloud. She had absolutely no idea where she could be.

"What do I do now?" she asked herself. She stood in silence, skimming over the scene before her once again. Her eyes were drawn to the village right below her. There would be people there, people who could help her, she thought.

As she entered the village, Aneko was struck by the disquiet this village caused in her head. There was no obvious cause for it as she looked around. A slow, mule drawn cart ambled along carrying hay. Moments later, a woman hurried across the road carrying basket of fresh vegetables. Two children ran by, a girl chasing a boy, shouting at him to slow down. All seemed normal, but her disquiet had grown. She looked up at the ordinary thatched roofs, perplexed. Then it occurred to her. It wasn't what she saw, but what she didn't see that was bothering her. There were no electrical or telephone wires, no neon signs, no automobiles. The streets were dirt and there were no sidewalks. She saw no trace of the modern conveniences.

"_And their clothes_," she thought as a man carrying a load of fabric bolts walked by. "_They're so old fashioned, and foreign_." There was something significant in that, she suspected. She ambled down the street, looking left to right at the different shops. She paused at one to inspect the wares. There was nothing electronic or electrical among them. They had some beautiful hand carved items for sale, she noted. Cooking spoons, bowls, hair sticks, even children's toys. But there was absolutely nothing hinting of modern technology.

"You like something you see?" the shop keeper asked her. She looked up.

"They're beautiful," she said quietly, pointing to a selection of carved and stained jewel boxes.

"Yes," the shop keeper agreed. "The Empress is partial to them, too. She has several of my jewel boxes," he boasted. "Seven gold ryo and one can be yours." Aneko blinked at him.

"Ryo?" she repeated, unfamiliar with the word.

"You must be a stranger here," the shop keeper said knowingly. "Your clothes say as much." Aneko looked at her clothes, suddenly self aware. She looked around and noticed that several people were staring at her from the street. She flushed in embarrassment under the scrutiny, then put them out of her mind.

"I'm lost," Aneko admitted to the kindly shop owner. "I'm not sure where here is." He smiled warmly.

"This is the Guri-nkoyama Village in the far west of Konankoku," he said. "Where do you come from?" Aneko looked at him a moment, hiding her ignorance as to where that was.

"I'm from a place called Tokyo," she replied finally.

"Tokyo?" the merchant repeated uncertainly. "It must be very far away," he said.

"Yes," Aneko agreed absently, her mind whirling, trying to think of something sensible to say and do. "Can-can you tell me what that big city is? The one I saw from the top of the high hill?" Perhaps that would give her a better idea of her whereabouts, she thought.

"Why, that's Eiyou, the Imperial Capital of Konan," he replied. "Is that where you're headed?" Aneko considered her answer for a moment. She'd never heard of that city before, and yet... She felt frustrated, as if there were something there, in her memory, that was again evading her grasp.

"Yes," she finally said decisively. "I'm traveling to Eiyou."

"Oh!" the shop keeper said excitedly. "Are you traveling with a delegation then? Have you come with an Ambassador from this Tokyo you speak of? Many foreign people have come since the Emperor died in the war with Kuto. They're quick to ally with the country that defeated such a military power. The Empress-Regent is glad to welcome delegations in the crown prince's name. The delegation you travel with can be assured of that."

"No," Aneko shook her head. "I'm not with a delegation. I travel alone."

"So dangerous!" the shop owner exclaimed in surprise. "There have been strange things happening. Women, children, they disappear without a trace. They say it is slave traders. It has been outlawed here, but, there is still an underground. Criminals, they are sometimes deadly. You will have to be careful."

"Thank you for the warning," Aneko said seriously. "Thank you for everything you've told me. It was very helpful." She stepped away from the shop with a smile and a wave to the kindly gentleman. "I must be going. I have a long way to go." The shop keeper smiled and waved back, and Aneko turned and hurried off up the street.

Aneko hoped that once she arrived in Eiyou she would be able to discover where she was. A small little country village like this one simply didn't know enough of the world to be able to help her. Her hope was that a large city would have resources that could help her find her way home. Someone there was bound to know where Tokyo was, and point her in the right direction. Engrossed in her thoughts, Aneko failed to notice a pair of piercing eyes following her every move. As she headed out of the village and into the countryside, a shadowy figure slipped from the dark concealment of a small hut on the edge of town and began to follow after her at a distance. As she walked toward the Imperial Capital she could no longer see in the distance, three other figures fell into step behind the first, all of them intent on keeping the lone woman in their sights.

~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: Now, was that so bad? I hope not. Guess what? Chichiri and Tasuki coming up next! Really! ~Sapphire


	4. Part Three: Fate's Hand

Disclaimer: Fushigi Yugi belongs to Watase Yu and some corporate types. (Blanket disclaimer included with Prologue if you want to know who.) Don't sue me, I'm poor.

Warnings: Enter Chichiri! And Tasuki! And Kouji! Judging by the cast list for this part, you can expect some foul language. Rating of PG-13.

Notes: Are there still people reading this? If you are, Happy Reading! ~Sapphire

"Oracles of the Four Gods"

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Three ~ Fate's Hand

Among the fields and trees there was only solitude for the lost and confused woman. Her only companions were her own thoughts, much to her dismay. Her mind was in such a turmoil she didn't make very good company for herself. It was strange that she couldn't remember how she had come to be in this strange and foreign land. What she did remember was confusing. Why had she been out in the cold autumn mist wandering around? And that cave, what was it's significance? Each time she felt as though she were coming close to some kind of answer, the shadowy outline of a man filled her mind. Who he was, she didn't know, but something about him brought her to tears.

"Is this a memory of someone I knew?" she asked herself aloud, wiping tears from her face. She simply didn't know, and now she was alone in a strange place with strange people, and strange images filling her head.

She had walked a long way before her tears ceased and she was able to collect herself. She stopped beside a clear running stream and bent down on it's bank beside a still pool to look at her own reflection. Her face was quite dirty, tear tracks running down her cheeks, smudges from her attempts to wipe them dry. Her hair was askew, loose tendrils sticking out at odd angles. Bending down close to the water, Aneko splashed the crisp water onto her face, washing away both dirt and tears. When her face was clean, she dried it on the edge of her jacket lining. then, finding a little comb in one of her cavernous coat pockets, she ran it through her hair until it was in order. Looking and feeling better, Aneko sat back on her heels and looked around.

The sky was growing dim as the sun was sinking on the horizon. Aneko had no where to go, her head ached, she felt utterly exhausted, and she was tired of traveling. With clean water, the shelter of trees, and soft ground beneath her feet, she decided this was as good a place as any to camp for the night.

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. Something was suddenly not right. Aneko looked around, trying to determine the source of her discomfort. She could see nothing unusual or threatening. Becoming more uneasy in that quiet, secluded place, Aneko stood and returned to the road she'd been traveling. Setting off at a quick pace, she continued on, her attention concentrated on the environment around her. She would not sleep that night, she knew. She would keep going, at least until the creepy feeling finally dissipated.  
  
~~~~

  
Chichiri sat with his fishing line dangling in the clear, woodland brook. He was hoping to catch one of the silvery trout hovering just below the water's surface for his breakfast. His mind, however, wasn't on his task. It was far away, wandering recent times past. He'd been so restless lately, both in body and spirit, and he couldn't fathom why.

Life in the Imperial Court was vastly different than anything he had been accustomed to in the past. As an advisor to the Empress-Regent he was quite important to Konan. Having seen so much of the country for himself, together with the fact he was one of Suzaku's seven Shichiseishi, the Empress often depended on his insight to make decisions affecting places and people she had no real knowledge of herself. Chichiri was more than happy to lend his services, and it was, in a way, his duty as a Suzaku Warrior. More importantly, he was working to ensure a contented nation was there for Hotohori's son to rule when he came of age. All noble causes that earned great honor for his name. It was strange, then, that it had all become tiresome of late.

Often, he found himself thinking there was something more out there, something else that needed him. Yet, when he thought about it, there wasn't anything. He could return to his life as a wandering monk, but Chichiri hesitated. He was needed at the Imperial Court. The Empress had noticed the change in him, however. After a time she had grown concerned and approached him about his seeming disinterest. Chichiri had explained as best he could, but he didn't really understand himself. It was not surprising that she didn't comprehend, either. Never-the-less, she saw he was not himself and suggested he return to his life of wandering for a time. Chichiri had refused at first, feeling obligated to remain in the palace. As more days passed and he became more withdrawn from everything and everyone, including himself, he realized that it was best he go away for a little while. So he had left, letting the road take him where it would. His feet led him to the sparsely populated countryside in the west of Konan, but he was no closer to that strange something than he had been at the Imperial Court.

Adding to his troubles were the strange disturbances he'd been detecting. The first four had been like slight tremors, or ripples on the smooth surface of a pond. The fourth disturbance on the morning before had come from somewhere nearby. Curious, he'd gone looking for the cause. He hadn't found it yet when the fifth, and worst, disturbance occurred at mid day the day before. This had been a strong surge of power that rocked the very balance of the metaphysical world. The force with which it hit was so hard it felt like a physical blow. He knew instantly that whatever had caused this latest surge had been somewhere in the east of Konan, and he had started out in that direction, wondering what he would find.

Chichiri sighed as the fish refused to take the bait they were offered. He bobbed the hook a little, trying to entice the trout, but still they refused to bite. Uncharacteristic to his nature, he gave up and pulled his line out of the water. He sighed again, then stared at the water while going over his muddled thoughts once more. It was so frustrating to him not knowing what the causes of all his anxieties were.

Then all at once his perceptiveness completely changed. The restlessness he'd been experiencing was suddenly gone. In its place was an assortment of emotions that were obviously not his own. It was the strangest thing Chichiri had ever experienced. He felt as if he were in danger, though he knew there was nothing threatening to him in the nearby vicinity. He'd have sensed it if there were. He felt an uncertainty about something he couldn't put his finger on, and it was accompanied by a raw fear that was unlike any fear he had personally experienced. Perhaps it was the fear of something he had never faced or would never have to face. Most startling of all was that he knew where the emotions were coming from. He quickly got to his feet, collecting his shakujo and mask, and ran out onto the deserted dirt road. He turned heading west, back the way he'd just come, without questioning.

"_It's as if I'm being led_," he thought to himself. "_By who_? _Fate_? _Destiny_? _Suzaku_?" He didn't know. He could only go forward and see what the road brought him to.  
  
~~~~

"Genrou, you really worry me, ya know that?" a scarred bandit complained as he and his most trusted friend made their way into a small village on the Konan plains, a small troop of men trailing behind them, all headed for the high mountains directly to the east.

"Yeah, why's that, Kouji?" Genrou replied sarcastically.

"Be serious a minute," Kouji pleaded. "Somethin's buggin ya. I can tell."

"Its nothing," Genrou said. "At least, nothin' important," he added as he looked away from his friend.

"If you say so," Kouji sighed. "But lately you seem ta wanna be somewhere else." He looked at his friend critically. "And since that 'quake yesterday, you're worse."

"Nah," Genrou replied with a shrug. "I'm boss. This is where I belong. This is where I'll stay." The two fell silent, but Genrou's thoughts remained noisy. Kouji was right, he admitted, if only to himself. He did want to be somewhere else. Where, he wasn't sure. But he knew it wasn't where he was. It confounded him beyond all belief. Leading the Mt. Leikaku bandits was his whole life, now that his duty as a Suzaku Seishi was complete. And there really wasn't anything else he wanted to do. But lately...

He'd been sensing some strange things of late. What he was sensing was beyond his understanding. Then, following these crazy episodes, he had been restless. That was the only way he could describe it. It was as if he needed to be somewhere other than where he was doing something other than what he was. But where, and what? Then there was yesterday. It had happened again, but this time with a force akin to Nuriko's _little_ shoves he'd been the recipient of far too often for his liking. That little seishi sense at the back of his head had gone haywire just before the earthquake. It was very…unsettling…and Tasuki wasn't one to be unsettled.

A strange new feeling slowly stole over him. He sensed some kind of danger, but not quite. He'd never felt anything like it before. He looked around, scanning his surroundings, searching out the cause of his unease.

"What?" Kouji was suddenly on alert. "Somethin' wrong?" Genrou shook his head.

"Not sure," he replied. He turned his thoughts inward. No, _he_ wasn't in danger, but someone else was. He was sure of it. But who? "Somethin's wrong," Genrou said, "but not here. Somewhere else." Kouji looked at him, bewildered.

"What the hell are you talking about?" he demanded.

"Don't know," Genrou said. "But I'm damned well gonna find out." He turned and headed toward the southwest.

"What're you doing now?" Kouji shouted, following after him. Genrou growled to himself.

"I'm going to Eiyou," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Eiyou?!" Kouji exclaimed. "The Imperial Capital?" Genrou nodded. "Why?"

"Suzaku," Genrou replied with an angry glint in his eyes.

"The beast god?" Kouji queried.

"Yeah, whenever things get weird, you can damned well be sure Suzaku has somethin' to do with it," Genrou explained. "Chichiri ought ta know what's going on. And he's at the Palace in Eiyou." That monk was more in tune with Suzaku than anyone he knew, except Taiitsukun, but he didn't like that old bag too much. If Chichiri didn't know what was going on, the monk could talk to the witch on Mt. Daikyoku. She liked him better anyway. Kouji sighed in exasperation.

"Can't they leave you alone?" he wanted to know. "I get sick of taken' over all the time," he complained. "It's yer job not mine."

"Yeah?" Genrou demanded, "Well, who the fuck else am I gonna leave in charge? I don't trust any a those other guys ta do it. You saw what happened when Eiken got a taste a power. Then there was Matsumoto's mutiny a coupla months back. I still don't trust some of these guys."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Kouji admonished. "I'll take care of things, as usual."

"I knew you would," Genrou flashed him a triumphant look. "Anyway, I shouldn't be gone longer than a couple a months-"

"A couple a MONTHS!!! I need some sake," Kouji groaned, holding his whirling head in his hands. Genrou laughed.

~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: So what did you think? Now that you've read the prologue and three parts (supposedly) I'd love to hear your thoughts. ~Sapphire


	5. Part Four: Trouble

Disclaimer: I don't own Fushigi Yugi, I never claimed to.

Warnings: This part is rated PG-13 for violence and language. Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes: I told you the original FY characters would get their glory. I hope it was worth the wait. There's lots more to follow. Leave me a review, thumbs up or thumbs down. I want to know what you all have to say. If you have some good criticisms, I'm not opposed to revision if I agree with your comments, and I've been know to do just that in the past. ~Sapphire

"Oracles of the Four Gods"

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Four ~ Trouble

Aneko was exhausted by the time the sun pushed up from the distant horizon. She'd been traveling all night; that tingly, frightening feeling chasing her all the while. Even as the sun climbed into the morning sky, she still felt the prickliness at the back of her neck. Not liking it at all, she continued to push herself onward despite her fatigue.

All around were dry fields filled with tall grasses, and a forest in the distance. The trees were a welcome sight, as the morning sun was already ablaze with the heat of midsummer. A chorus of birds met her when she finally entered into the shade of the forest canopy. As she trudged on, she thought she heard the faint sounds of water gurgling somewhere. 

"_I'm so thirsty_," she realized. Ignoring the bleariness of her tired eyes, she looked for the source of water. It wasn't long before she spied a large rock with a shallow basin obviously chipped out by a human hand. In the center of the shallow basin, water bubbled up from a natural spring. "_How clever_," she thought as she stooped over the basin cupping her hands and scooped the crisp water to her mouth and drank greedily. Refreshed, she stood tall and stretched her sore shoulder muscles.

"I suppose I could rest here for a while," she softly mumbled as she looked around the tranquil place. She was travel worn and felt disheveled, sorely in need of a short stop, but that creepy feeling was still with her. It would have to be a very short stop. Hanging her coat on a tree, she shed her vest and blouse and shook them out before hanging them by her coat to air. Returning to the spring with her comb in hand, she quickly washed up and put her hair in order. With her handkerchief she brushed her skirt clean, then straightened it before putting her shirt and vest back on, arranging the garments to make herself presentably neat and tidy.

As she reached for her coat, she saw a very tall man standing among the trees just beyond the branch where it hung. Aneko's skin tingled with an intense sense of danger as the stranger took a step toward her. She turned toward the road, but came face to face with a second man; this one wearing a dirty swath of fabric wrapped around his shaved head. Cold, hard expressions occupied both their faces as she looked between the two. Afraid, Aneko thought to escape through the woods, but was stopped by two more men.

"No where to go, pretty girlie," one man sneered. All four began to close in on her. She was boxed in with no where to run, and by the look of them, she wouldn't be able to talk her way out of this. The best she could do was use her head, hit them where they were most vulnerable, make each attack count, and run when she got the chance.

"Stay away from me," she warned with more confidence than she felt.

"Oh yeah?" the tall one said, "Whatcha gonna do about it? Scream?" The others laughed maliciously. "There ain't no one gonna hear ya way out here." They were very close now, within reaching distance of Aneko, and all at once the one with the turban had latched onto her arm with a viselike grip.

"Owww!" Aneko yelped, trying to wrench her arm free. "Let me go!" A second man grabbed her other arm, and the two men forced her to face their tall leader despite her struggles. A sharp, stinging pain stunned her momentarily as the leader backhanded her across the face.

  
"Do what yer told, an' you don't get any more a that, ya hear?" he growled. Aneko nodded mutely, and hung her head. After a tense moment, the tall one chuckled. "Smart girl." As the tension between them eased, so did the grips her assailants had on her. With all her weight, she dug the heel of her shoe into the foot of one man and yanked her arm free, then sent a well aimed elbow into the stomach of the other. The elbow was quickly followed by a knee to his groin. She slipped out of their reach, but they circled her once more before she could make a run for it. She stood her ground, her gaze like daggers aimed at the tall one.

"Don't touch me again!" she hissed, her anger blazing.

"We'll see," sneered the tall one as he pulled back his arm to hit her again. She barely sidestepped his punch, and his fist smashed into the stone water basin that was behind her. "Bitch!" he screamed, clutching his hand, his face turning red with anger. "Get her NOW!" he shouted. They lunged at her. The impact sent her reeling back, right into the basin. There was a sickening crack as a bone broke. Pain hit a second later. Aneko grit her teeth, knowing if she gave in to the pain she would likely loose her life.

"I won't give up," she challenged, propping herself up against the basin as the tall leader loomed over her in a rage. To her, he seemed possessed as he reached down and grabbed her by the arms and shook her until her teeth rattled. Despite her pain she fought back, managing to land a hard kick to his shin.

"Fucking bitch!" She tried to scramble away from where he'd fallen to the ground. She couldn't get far with the basin behind her, and the others surrounding them. In a fury, the leader managed to rise on his good leg. He stood over her, and she knew he was going to beat her. The very air shimmered red as he raised a fist. "What is this?" he hissed at her. "Some kind of magic? Stop it this minute!" Aneko cringed, as his fist flew at her face, but she never felt the blow. It never came. Instead there was a brilliant flash of red light, and the man was sent flying through the air until he was slammed into a large tree across the road before falling to the ground. Aneko just stared in awe.  
  
~~~~

  
Chichiri felt the alien emotions intensify. There was something very wrong. Whomever he was looking for, he or she was in some kind of trouble. Sensing desperation, he urged his feet to move faster. Chichiri realized time was running out. He pulled at the strings of his kasa, he removed the conical straw hat from where it hung at his neck and threw it into the air. With a bit of magic, he lowered it over his head, letting his seishi senses lead him.

He emerged in the center of a narrow road, the same road he'd been traveling. Along the wayside he was confronted with a desperate scene. A woman was backed against a rock, cradling one arm with her other, cornered by a circle of seedy looking men. Her expression displayed the fear she harbored, though she maintained a carefully controlled calm.

"I won't give up," a deluge of emotion, like a ripple effect, swept over Chichiri as she spoke. She was obviously the source of the emotions he'd been sensing. The woman kicked one man in the shin as he attacked. The man swore, then raised a fist in anger. Before Chichiri could intervene, a brilliant red glow illuminated the woman. He barked something at her, and an instant later the man was blasted clear across the road and into a tree.

"Who is she?" he wondered as he stared at the woman in awe. She seemed just as shocked as he was. Suddenly the red glow flashed blindingly and a force field formed around her, closing her off to her other attackers. Chichiri's senses were assaulted by a familiar presence. "Suzaku!" he exclaimed in surprise. The character on his knee flashed, his skin tingling as it did. Without a second thought, he raised his staff, aiming it at the three terrified men left standing. Removing his mask so they could see his well aimed glare, he cast a simple spell, freezing them where they stood. He was not in a charitable mood. These men were slave traders, no doubt about that, and the illegal trade sickened him.

"Trading in flesh is illegal, no da. I won't let you get away with it." Chichiri released them from his spell, giving them a more than fair chance.

"It's a warrior of Suzaku!" one of the men shouted in fear, staring at the glowing character on Chichiri's knee.

"Run!" shouted another and all three turned to flee.

"Not so fast," Chichiri informed them, puttin his hands together, channeling his own chi as it built within him. Three blasts, each aimed at one retreating slaver, erupted from the staff. All were knocked flat and senseless. "Let that be a lesson to you," Chichiri said as he turned away from the wretched men.

The woman inside the red force field stared at him with wide, deep blue eyes. He stared back, noticing the glow of a red character on her forehead. 'Oni' it read, ogre. Chichiri's mouth dropped open in astonishment.

"That's impossible!" he exclaimed. "That's Tamahome's symbol!"

~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: Was that too cliché? I know the slaver gang thing was used a few times in the anime. I guess every culture, imaginary or real, needs it's seedy underside. ~Sapphire


	6. Part Five: Defender

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Don't claim to.

Warnings: This part rated G. Overall rating of PG-13

Note: Hi everyone! I've gotten some good feedback and take some of the offered advice. On that advice, I added some snippets to the prologue and altered some details to part three to make it all work more smoothly. Thanks for the suggestions! Keep them coming! ~Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Five ~ Defender

The woman passed out, slumping over against the rock. The symbol on her forehead flickered and died, and then the protective shield dissipated. Chichiri had to convince himself he hadn't been imagining the ogre symbol, or the red light. Suzaku had protected that woman, but he couldn't fathom why.

He slipped his mask back into place, dismissing the astonishing events, and approached the woman to inspect the damage done to her. A pained expression had etched itself in her features, and a dark red beginnings of a bruise marred her left cheek. Her left arm lay at an odd angle, and remembering how she'd cradled it, Chichiri knew it was broken. That seemed to be the extent of her injuries. Whoever she was, he couldn't leave her where she was. Gathering her unconscious form in his arms, he lifted her from the ground. Instantly, her eyes opened. She seemed disoriented at first, but the cloudiness of her eyes quickly vanished. Chichiri stared into those deep blue eyes for a long moment before looking away.

"Put me down, please," she whispered. Chichiri obliged and set the woman lightly on her feet. She swayed, so he caught hold of her before she could topple over. He held onto her until she had regained her balance. Taking a deep breath, she looked around the clearing. Chichiri noticed her gaze lingering on the still forms of her attackers. "It wasn't a nightmare," she stated in a quiet voice. She looked up at Chichiri. "Who are you?" she asked him.

"I'm just a wanderer, no da," he replied without hesitation. Her gaze scanned the four unconscious men again. "They paid for what they did," he said, "For your arm and for the bruises."

"Bruises?" she echoed.

"Here on your face, no da," Chichiri gently touched her cheek. The woman carefully probed her tender skin.

Aneko remembered the leader striking her, physically flinching at the memory. She remembered he was going to beat her. "_What is this_? _Some kind of magic_? _Stop it this minute_!" the words floated through Aneko's mind. He'd said that after the red light started glowing again.

"Did you see the red light? Did you do that?" Aneko queried. The stranger used some kind of attack, she remembered. It was just like the red light she'd been surrounded by. Surely he had…

"No, I didn't," he replied evasively. "I'm not sure..." he was thoughtful for a moment, "but I know how to find out. If you're ready to go, I'll take us straight there, no da."

"Where?" Aneko asked, confused.

"The Imperial Palace," he replied. Aneko stared at him wide eyed as he held out a hand to her. "You can trust me," he said, extending his hand further. She reached out to take it, then suddenly dropped her hand at her side.

"No," she refused in a quiet but firm voice. He seemed surprised but she didn't care. She didn't know him or anything about him. True, he had taken out the men that had attacked her, but what was to say he didn't have similar intentions toward her? She shuddered involuntarily, wondering what those men would have done to her. "I want you to go."

"What?" the stranger seemed bewildered.

"I want you to go," she repeated evenly. "Leave me alone." Aneko felt uncomfortable as he studied her. She knew she was in bad shape, exhausted emotionally and physically with a broken left arm and some nasty bruises to boot. However, she wanted far away from him and the four men who'd attacked her. She got the impression he understood, at least that he understood she didn't trust him. He glanced at the road behind her, and she chanced a look back to see what he saw. Lying in the dirt in the middle of the road was an ordinary looking straw hat.

With a furtive glance between her and the hat, the stranger walked past her,hooked the ornate top of his staff under the brim, and with an easy movement, flicked the straw hat into the air above his head. As it fell, the staff began to dissappear, along with the man as the hat descended. He smiled and waved before he vanished, and the hat settled into the dust on the dirt road.

Aneko stared, amazed. Cautiously approaching the hat, she gingerly picked it up. It was empty; it was a regular straw hat. Turning it over slowly in her hands, she examined it. There was nothing peculiar about it, nor about the ground around it. She knew she hadn't imagined it. The strange man had disappeared into the hat. Standing, she looked up the road toward the city and tossed the hat aside. Some strange intuition kept her from getting far. With a shrug, she hurried back, picked the hat up, tied the strings together around her neck, and let it dangle down her back. It might come in handy, she decided. She set out along the road, continuing her journey to the city of Eiyou.  
  
~~~~

  
The air shimmered above the roadway, as if distorted by rising heat. Two figures appeared. One was a tall man with long, dull moss colored hair and intense green eyes. His companion was a woman with flowing golden hair and eyes colored the deepest blue of the sky. They hovered there above the roadway a brief moment before their feet touched lightly onto the dirt. The scene before them was not what they had expected. The woman was there, just as they had been told, as well as the criminal men intent on her kidnap. There was another present, and as he fired off three powerful blast of life force to take out three fleeing slavers, they wondered how.

"He's a Suzaku Seishi," the man said in a low tone. "The character on his knee- he's Chichiri!"

"Wataru, he's not supposed to be here," the woman replied. "How did he find her?" They watched the glowing force field around the woman fade. The warrior approached the woman and checked her over.

"Kaori! Suzaku dropped the shield!" Wataru exclaimed, barely keeping his voice inaudible to the warrior.

"I don't believe it," she gasped. "She's not supposed to have contact with the Seishi yet! How could Suzaku do this?" The warrior bent and picked the woman up. Their mouths dropped open in shock. This was entirely wrong. This wasn't supposed to be happening. The woman came back to consciousness, and she and the warrior spoke to one another.

"Suzaku must be doing this...buy why?" Wataru asked. Kaori only shook her head.

"Let's hurry back," Kaori suggested. "We'll have to tell Taiitsukun. She'll know what to do." Wataru nodded, and Kaori used her power to open a portal for them to return through.

~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: New characters again! They'll be back later and you'll find out more about them. For now, though, they're taking a leave. ~Sapphire


	7. Part Six: Invisible Guardian

Disclaimer: Don't own it, don't claim to.

Warnings: This part rated G. Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes: I've had no title for this chapter for the longest time…I finally chose one. It was actually based on a suggestion by my sister. Thank-you little sis! ~Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Six ~ Invisible Guardian

Taiitsukun watched the images reflecting from the enormous mirror. A young woman walked alone along an open road. It was obvious to the ancient one that she was exhausted, but the woman continued on until long after the brilliant orange light of the setting sun bathed the land in golden hues and sank out of sight. As the chill air of evening set in, she pushed on, pulling her coat tight around her and hugging herself to keep warm.

"She's got determination, I'll give her that much. A weaker person would have fallen in their tracks long ago," Taiitsukun said to Nyan-Nyan. "And she's injured, too. She must be in terrible pain."

"Can I heal her?" Nyan-Nyan asked.

"No, not now. Perhaps later…She doesn't seem to feel it at all. I wonder what kind of burden could be so heavy on her mind she could forget the pain she feels physically?" Taiitsukun was thoughtful for a while as she watched the woman while Nyan-Nyan, for once, respectfully remained silent. There was no answer in the image before her. She turned her mind to other matters.

Taiitsukun was too old and experienced to not recognize the source of the power she had witnessed of the woman that day. That display of power had been rooted in something not of the physical kind. Sheer emotion, possibly desperation, had unleashed the strong life force that she had flung at the slave trader. She would not have been able to accomplish the same feat without that emotion. It had, however, been a glimpse of the power she held deep within herself, secreted away somewhere that even the girl could not find. Taiitsukun wondered if there was more power there than even she had ever guessed. And once she learned to unleash that power on her own, she would be a force to reckon with.

"She is the one, isn't she? The one we felt enter this world? The last one we were waiting for?" Nyan-Nyan asked. Taiitsukun hadn't expected her to remain silent for very long.

"Yes," Taiitsukun replied. "She's headed directly for Eiyou and the Shrine of Suzaku. She could be no other."

"Then why couldn't Kaori and Wataru bring her back? How did Chichiri find her? Why did Suzaku allow them to meet?"

"I don't know," Taiitsukun replied. "She should have come here first, before meeting any of the living seishi. Suzaku is risking the upset of an already precariously balanced world. That Bird Brain is risking the very existence of this world." Taiitsukun was very worried, indeed.

~~~~

  
Aneko was so tired, she could barely keep her eyes open. It was all she could do just to keep herself moving forward. The city had seemed much closer from the top of the hill, but once she'd gotten down into the heart of the land, the Imperial capital had not been visible. Aneko guessed it would be another day or two of travel before she arrived, maybe more. There was no way she could keep going that long without sleep. She refused to stop and rest, though. She was haunted by a lingering fear of being attacked again, pushing herself onward hour after exhausting hour. Finally she could endure no more. She collapsed onto the thick grass of a field beneath a lone tree. As her blinking eyes slowly closed she hoped the waving grass would conceal her from anyone who chanced to pass by. With an exhausted yawn, she succumbed to sleep.

~~~~

Chichiri slowly emerged from his kasa. He'd gambled on her picking up his kasa once he'd disappeared into it. His gamble had paid off, though he'd been dismayed when she'd initially thrown the hat aside. Just as Miaka had years ago, this woman had carried the magical hat with her after all. Through the kasa he was able to monitor the woman and her surroundings, provide her a protector without her knowing it. When she had set the kasa down onto the cool grass with the crickets chirping a lullaby, he knew it wouldn't be long until she slept. He waited patiently until he was sure she was soundly sleeping before showing himself. It took only a glance to realize she was so deep into her dreams that she wasn't likely to wake for a good long while.

He scanned their surroundings. They were more or less out in the open; not the safest place to be. He needed to get her somewhere safe where she could rest and get proper treatment for her broken arm. Moving slowly, so as not to disturb her, he collected his kasa, spread out his kesa, then lifted the woman carefully off the ground. He placed her gently on the kesa, then wasted no time in invoking the spell that would transport them both to his intended destination.

~~~~

"Do you know who she is?" Empress-Regent Houki inquired of the Celestial Suzaku Warrior.

"No," Chichiri replied with a shake of his head. He peered through the doors to the bedchamber to get a glimpse of the sleeping woman. The Empress looked, too, studying the strange woman's features. She appeared quite exhausted, and was oblivious to everything around her.

"The poor thing," the Empress said sadly. "Attacked like that. By slavers. And it's illegal here, too." She scowled. "Something shall have to be done about it."

"With all due respect," Chichiri told her, "Slaving is only illegal in Konan, no da. Though it's looked down upon in Sairou, it's not illegal there, nor is it illegal in Kutou or Houkan. As long as it isn't against the law in our neighboring countries, slavers will continue to operate in Konan, taking their captives across our borders to sell." The Empress scowled again. He had a point, and a very good one.

"Yes, that's true," she said, biting her bottom lip lightly between her teeth as she thought hard. "This may be something to bring up at council. It very well may come to something constructive." Empress-Regent Houki saw the understanding look Chichiri cast her way. He knew as well as she that the Imperial Council tended to be more concerned with taxes and how to spend them than with real problems that the people faced on a daily basis. The Empress sighed. "Unfortunately, we don't have a council to take it up with," she commented. "Not after the Earthquake. Two of the council members were killed, and many others were badly injured."

"Be thankful none of the other palace buildings collapsed the way that one did, no da," Chichiri reminded her. "More could have died."

"Yes, and we are unharmed thanks to Captain Hikaru. Boushin wasn't hurt at all," the Empress nodded. "The earthquake could have been much worse. Many of the servants and court members were injured, but there were very few who died. All the destruction and death is in the east." Chichiri nodded sadly in agreement. The Empress turned thoughtful again, and then gazed at the strange woman once more. "Whomever she is, she was lucky she was in the west. Where do you suppose she's from?"

"I'm not sure, no da," Chichiri began hesitantly. The Empress picked up on the hesitation instantly. She looked at him carefully, gauging how ready he was to speak what was bothering him. She tried not to force anyone to speak, but she sensed in this case, Chichiri was willing to share his concerns.

"You have a suspicion?" Empress Houki asked gently. Chichiri nodded.

"I think it's possible she could be from another world."

"Another world?" the Empress was a little surprised by the Seishi's bold statement, and she was skeptical of the possibility. "We saw her clothing," she commented. "We can see how you would suspect such a thing, but...strange clothing isn't enough to convince us."

"I don't blame you, your Highness," Chichiri agreed. "It isn't much to go on, but they;re a lot like Miaka's..."

"The Priestess of Suzaku?" Empress Houki queried. She had met the priestess only twice. Once, briefly before her husband was killed, and the second when the priestess had returned from her world with Taka in search of the jewels that held Tamahome's memories. The Empress formed an image of that girl in her head, and had to agree with Chichiri. "If memory serves, this woman's clothing is indeed similar, but..."

"The only other person I knew who had clothes like that was the Priestess of Seiryu." Chichiri paused for a moment, almost as though he were considering his own argument. "Whoever she is, she's protected by Suzaku, no da."

"Protected by Suzaku? What makes you think so?"

"She was protected by a force field, and surrounded by red light. I'm sure it was Suzaku's light," Chichiri told her.

"Why would Suzaku protect her? What is the purpose?" Empress Houki asked.

"I wish I knew, no da. We'll have to wait until she wakes up to find out." The Empress nodded in understanding. One could only find so many answers in observation alone.

"Keep close watch on her, and inform us at once when she wakes." Chichiri nodded, and Empress Houki turned and left the warrior to his duty. She had thinking to do.

~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: I hope Empress Houki is a convincing character. I really don't know much about how things worked in Imperial China, so I'm basing most of this off of the Anime and my own imagination. There's nothing wrong with that considering this Ancient China never existed in reality. However, if you have some real information, go ahead and send it my way, I might find it useful. ~Sapphire


	8. Part Seven: Mysterious Outsider

Disclaimer: If I had any claim to Fushigi Yugi and characters, themes, etc that go along with it, I'd be proclaiming it to the world. As it is, I'm humbly 'borrowing' a few of Watase's creations without permission. I'll give them back someday…except maybe Tasuki. I think I'll borrow him permanently…

Warnings: Alert! Tasuki has entered the building! Language. PG-13 rating.

Notes: Chichiri's been with us a few chapters now. It's about time Tasuki made another appearance, and start getting more involved in the plot. So, without furter ado, I give you the **_flaming _**bandit! (Just kidding! Fang Boy isn't going to be gay. Sorry Fangirls.) ~Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Seven ~ Mysterious Outsider

__

"Father Yoshi, I'm worried...about Danno." She swallowed, trying to control her rising fear. "He's late, and he hasn't called. I don't know where he is. Have you heard from him at all?" She waited nervously for the reply.

__

"Aneko, you know that Mother Kuri and I love you like our own daughter, don't you?" the voice on the other end asked.

__

"Of course," she answered without having to think about it. "What a weird question_," she thought. Then all at once the implications struck her. It was almost impossible to force audible sound from her throat to ask, "What- what happened? What's wrong? What happened to Danno?" She was trying so hard to fight the fear rising in the pit of her stomach._

__

"Aneko," Yoshi Toya said in a hushed tone, his voice strangled as if he was fighting off tears, "Danno was in a crash."

__

"What!" she was frantic. "This can't be happening to me_!" her mind screamed at her, but she managed to remain outwardly calm. "Where is he? Is he okay? What hospital-"_

__

"Aneko!" Yoshi cut her off. She fell silent. "Aneko, I'm afraid it's bad."

__

"How bad?" She didn't want to know. She didn't want to hear the truth she knew in her heart.

__

"He didn't make it," Yoshi said. The catch in his voice cut her like a knife.

__

"Didn't...make...it?" Inside she was screaming, "No, No, No_!"_

__

"He died instantly," Yoshi told her.

__

"Died?" her response was barely a whisper.

__

"Yes," Yoshi replied. "Aneko?" She couldn't answer. She couldn't believe him. This just couldn't be happening to her. "Aneko?" Yoshi's voice was like a far off echo to her. Father Yoshi would not lie to her. He would never play such a cruel joke. Danno would have called her if everything were all right. She knew it. As the devastating truth hit her full force, she dropped the phone and collapsed into an overstuffed chair and wept.

__

"Why did you leave me, Danno, why?"  


~~~~

  
The woman he'd rescued four days ago was still in the depths of slumber. Chichiri rubbed his temples, trying to massage away the headache he'd gotten trying to figure out who she was. It was late, and he should have been in bed, but the unconscious woman was his responsibility and he couldn't leave her. Wearily, Chichiri took a seat in a chair beside her bed and continued to watch her carefully. Tears glistened amid her brown eyelashes, threatening to overflow. She made a slight movement as she shifted in her restless sleep, and it looked as though she was trying to speak. It seemed she was experiencing a very vivid dream. Suddenly her eyes flew open and she stared directly at him.

"Why did you leave me, Danno, why?" she asked. He stared at her, mystified. "Why?" She grabbed onto his forearm and held tight as large tears rolled down her face.

"I- I'm not Danno, no da," he managed to say, putting a gentle hand over the one clutching his arm. She was startled, but still asleep, and she slowly released her grip on him as she slipped back into unconsciousness. Chichiri sat with her a while more, making sure she would sleep more soundly, then stood and made his way to the courtyard and a quiet little corner under a fruit tree to sit and think.

~~~~

  
"_Why can't she wake up_?" Chichiri wondered. As far as he or anyone else could tell, there was no physical reason she remained unconscious. She'd been exhausted, but once she'd slept a good while she should have woken from hunger or thirst or some other human need. Maybe it wasn't a question of ability. "_Why won't she wake up_?"

His mental question flooded his mind with a myriad of memories from his own past. There had been times in his life he'd wanted to forget everything and shut out life to be alone in his misery: the day his family and fiance, Tenmei, parished in the flood; the day his best friend, Hikou, had died; the countless times he found himself wracked with guilt and wished he could be dead, too; the day Hikou returned as a demon and he was forced to confront him all over again. Even now, despite everything, despite Hikou's own forgiveness, he still felt everything was his fault. No matter how many time he told himself he wasn't responsible, he still felt the burden of guilt.

"_Could she be doing that? Could she be hiding form a painful memory_?" Chichiri remembered the dream she'd been having. "_Could it have to do with this Danno_?"  


~~~~

  
Hours later Chichiri was still deep in thought under the fruit tree. There was so much mystery, he couldn't keep his mind off the woman he'd rescued. The more he thought about her, the more mysterious she became. The more mysterious she became, the more he thought about her. He thought he was going to go crazy. Noise near the woman's room drew his attention. He jumped up from the grassy spot under a fruit tree and ran to see what it was, hoping she was finally awake.

"Hey, so the wandering monk finally decided to show himself." The taunting remark echoed from the far side of the pavilion's veranda as Chichiri ran up the steps. A fierce looking character with flame red hair strode purposefully toward him. His eyes glinted with mischief and a faint, amused smile etched itself in his smirk.

"Tasuki! Long time no see, no da?" Chichiri greeted cheerfully. He hadn't seen Tasuki in nearly a year. He hadn't realized how much he missed having the brash bandit around.

"So where you been? And who's the girl, anyway?" Tasuki inquired, hitching his thumb over his shoulder toward the stranger lying in the room beyond. Chichiri glanced inside, making sure the woman was still soundly asleep. She hadn't moved since he'd left her. He kept a steady gaze on the foreign woman as he spoke.

"She was attacked by slave traders," Chichiri explained. "I was..._led_ to her somehow." His brow furrowed in thought. "When I got to her, they had her surrounded. Before I could step in, a red light surrounded her."

"A red light?" This was sounding far to weird for Tasuki's liking. This business was already reeking of Suzaku, and Tasuki knew he and Chichiri were already in the thick of it. "_Thanks a lot, Suzaku_," he thought bitterly with a fleeting glance toward the shrine. Chichiri only nodded.

"When a slaver tried to hit her, a character appeared on her forehead. A second later, a life-force blast threw the man across the road. They couldn't touch her anymore. The light had made a protective barrier around her."

"Can she do magic?" Tasuki wondered. If that were so, maybe Suzaku wasn't involved in any of this. Chichiri only shrugged. Tasuki guessed he hadn't been able to ask any questions yet.

"I believe- no, I _know_ it was Suzaku's power protecting her, no da." Tasuki was surprised at the monks certainty about that fact, and quite skeptical in his own right. Red light didn't always have to mean it was Suzaku. "The character on her forehead was 'oni'. It was the ogre symbol, like Tamahome's," Chichiri suddenly added.

"Impossible!" Tasuki bellowed, disbelieving. Now that was just too much. No one but Tamahome could bear the ogre symbol, could they? Miaka once had all the seishi symbols when they'd channeled their Seishi power through her to help Tamahome, but this woman wasn't Miaka, and she certainly wasn't some new Priestess of Suzaku.

"I know what I saw, no da," Chichiri argued.

"But it can't be!" Tasuki returned. "I knew there was somethin' damn strange going on around here, but this is crazy." Chichiri kept silent as Tasuki spewed a few choice curses until he became coherent again. "I felt like something' was going to happen for weeks. I guess this is it." Tasuki noticed Chichiri's attention was suddenly riveted on him as if he'd said something profound in his ranting. "What?" he demanded with a suspicious glare.

"Weeks?" Chichiri asked him. "What kind of feeling was it?"

"Fucking weird, that's what," Tasuki fumed flippantly. "As if I didn't have enough ta worry about with the Mt. Leikaku Bandits. Seemed like there was somethin' else I was supposed to do. I kept havin' these weird feelings, too." Tasuki narrowed his eyes suspiciously at Chichiri. "Why?" 

"I felt it, too," Chichiri admitted. "That's how I found her." There were too many weird things for this not to be associated with the southern beast god, Tasuki decided.

"You're probably right," Tasuki relented. "It probably was Suzaku." There was a long silence before he spoke again. "So, who is she, then? She can't be a Priestess. What else is there?" Chichiri shrugged.

"I don't know," he said, "and we can't ask her until she wakes up."

~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: Interesting, boring, over the top, the best thing you ever read? Send thoughts and comments my way. ~Sapphire


	9. Part Eight: Premonition

Disclaimer: Don't own it, don't claim to, don't sue me, don't have money.

Warnings: This part rated PG. Overall rating of PG-12. Tasuki's in this part, but surprisingly, he doesn't swear o_O

Notes: Well, I've got another chapter for you all. ~Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Eight ~ Premonition

Aneko groggily rolled onto her side and pushed herself up into a sitting position. She blinked rapidly as her sleepy eyes adjusted to the light. Slowly, she took in her surroundings and felt fear nagging at the back of her mind. The room had a stone floor and wooden walls. Along the top of the walls there was a series of intricately decorated windows mimicking the same pattern found on the room's only door. It wasn't a very large room, nor was it small. It was just the right size for it's contents: the bed, two chairs, a dressing table with a matching stool, and a small table near the door with a vase of fragrant blue flowers on it. Carefully, Aneko rose from the bed, taking it slow to avoid dizziness.

She noticed her clothing stacked and folded neatly on the stool of the dressing table. Quickly, she exchanged the cream colored cotton robe she was wearing for her own clothes. She grimaced as she slipped the sleeve of her blouse over her left arm. Each time she jostled it, the dull ache intensified to outright pain. Who ever had brought her here had at least had the decency to put a splint on her arm, but it was still painful. What she really needed was a cast, but she had other things to worry about, such as how to get home.

Pausing at the door before opening it, she listened carefully. The only sound was chirping birds, not much of a clue as to where she was. After a few moments, listening long enough to be sure the space outside the door was deserted, she slid the door open and stepped outside. Unexpectedly, she found herself within the high walls of a large compound. There were gardens and pathways weaving in and out among the many pagoda style pavilions scattered about within the walls. Everything there reminded her of the ancient Chinese, form the gardens to the architecture. And she had never felt further from home.

Quietly, she trotted down several stairs to the ground level and into the gardens. She wandered along the groomed paths until she was thoroughly lost. Not a soul was to be found on the well-maintained grounds. They paths eventually led her to the edge of a wooded park, complete with a large fish pond. The high wall enclosed the park grounds as well. Aneko simply stood there gaping, wondering how she was ever going to get out.

She felt a light touch on her shoulder. Stifling a scream, she spun around. To her utter surprise, it was the wanderer who'd stopped the slave traders' attack on her. A tall red head accompanied him, and he was obviously not happy to see her. Aneko took a tentative step backward to distance herself from the potential threat.

Aneko took a moment to study the wanderer. He was dressed in very old-fashioned clothes. Of particular notice were his long cape draped over one shoulder, fastened across his chest, and the staff in his hand with four links through it's heart shaped ornamented top. Both were peculiarly odd, she thought. His hair was a light shade of blue, and his face was...unlike any face she had ever seen. Not quite real, but not quite unreal at the same time. For some reason it seemed his features were different than they had been before. It felt as though he was hiding something from her, and she didn't like it. She didn't trust people who were less than completely honest. Considering the circumstances of their first meeting, she was even less inclined to trust this man.

At the same time, Chichiri was studying her. Her appearance- the way she dressed, the style of her garments, the arrangement of her hair- could only be likened to two people he had ever known. Two people who had come from a world far from his own: Miaka and Yui, the Priestesses of Suzaku and Seiryu. If he was right, and she was from that world, then what was she doing in his? All the Priestesses had already appeared. Chichiri read distrust in the woman. She was wary of him, and the deep blue eyes fixed upon him held a spark of disapproval. Every so often she would glance at Tasuki who, Chichiri guessed, was doing his best to 'loom' behind him. She was scared.

"You don't have to be afraid, no da," he finally said to break the silence. She only stared at him, remaining silent. Her coldness made both he and Tasuki uncomfortable. Chichiri tried again. "Do you remember me?" he asked.

"I remember, all right," she answered quietly, "those slave traders, as you said, and you." She eyed both men before her. "I don't remember how I got here, but I'll bet you had something to do with it," she accused.

"I brought you here after I found you on the side of the road," Chichiri explained calmly, choosing to ignore her suspiciousness.

"I'll bet," she retorted with a glare. She briefly glanced at the palace grounds. "What is this place?" Chichiri couldn't help but sense Tasuki's waning patience with the woman. The bandit didn't respond well to sarcasm that wasn't his own.

"You're at the Imperial Palace in Eiyou," he answered evenly. He paused a moment while she digested that information. She seemed a little surprised by it. "I was on my way here when I found you sleeping. I tried to wake you. I brought you here when you wouldn't. There wasn't a doctor to treat you, so I did what I could for your arm."

"Why wasn't there a doctor?" Her voice sounded curious now, rather than cold and accusing. Chichiri felt he was making progress with her.

"There was an earthquake," Tasuki answered, to the woman's startled surprise. "Anyone who calls himself a doctor is out east helpin' the injured."

"I've been taking care of you," Chichiri continued in a more friendly tone. "Sometimes the Empress would sit with you when she had time to spare."

"I-" She didn't seem to know what to say. He could tell she still didn't trust him but she was no longer afraid of him. "I apologize for being so rude," she finally managed. "It's just- I'm alone."

"Why don't we sit down and talk," Chichiri suggested, noticing how tired she still looked, gesturing toward a small, open-sided pagoda in the garden. "There are things I want to ask you, no da, and you probably have questions for me, too." She nodded and fell into step between them as they walked the short distance to the little pagoda.

Aneko was silent, wondering if she'd been too hasty in judging the wanderer. He was being quite kind to her, and it seemed he was trying to help her. She wasn't sure about the read head, but she sensed she was all right for the time being. As they mounted the steps leading into the shelter, a deafening crack echoed in Aneko's ears. She looked up in time to see the roof begin to crumble, ready to come crashing down on their heads.

"Look out!" she shouted in warning, realizing the stranger with the red hair would get the worst of it. She grabbed hold of his forearm and pulled him backwards, stumbling down the steps. The man quickly regained his balance and turned on her. Anger flashed his eyes.

Before either of them could utter a word, an earsplitting crack broke the serene quiet of the court gardens. Looking up, they saw the roof begin to crumble. The wanderer grabbed hold of both the red head and Aneko and pulled them quickly away. As the roof began to come down, he tripped over a small clump of flowering plants and fell, taking the other two with him, all of them landing among the roses. The ground shuddered a little and the air echoed with a loud boom as the structure fell over. Rubble now lay where they had been standing only moments before. Aneko felt the men's gazes on her before she opened her eyes to the clearing dust. They were staring at her in stunned wonder.

"Did you know?" the wanderer asked her. She nodded in shock. "How did you know it would fall?"

"I'm not sure," she replied in a whisper. "I just did. I just did."

~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: Questions, comments, criticisms, encouragements? Send them my way. ~Sapphire


	10. Part Nine: Leikaku Traitor

Disclaimer: Fushigi Yugi belongs to Watase and company. I'm only borrowing The Universe of the Four Gods and it's inhabitants.

Warnings: This part rated PG-13. Language. We're dealing with Leikaku bandits here. What else would you expect? Rated PG-13 overall.

Note: I just spent the last eight chapters, and the prologue, telling you about Aneko, Chichiri, Houki, Tasuki… It's time for a change, yes? I'm going to start delving deeper into the story. It's up to the mountain we go, where the Leikaku bandits make their cozy little home. You get to visit with a character I don't think we got to see enough of in the anime…Kouji!

Oracles of the Four Gods

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Nine ~ Leikaku Traitor

Kouji couldn't believe his eyes. Never in his wildest nightmares had he imagined something like this. The solid building that served as the hideout of the Mt. Leikaku bandits lay in smoldering ruins. Nothing short of a massive earthquake could have brought it down; an earthquake just like the one that rocked Konan nearly a week ago. Men, loyal men and friends, lay strewn about dead. They had not died in the earthquake, though, they had been killed by swords, knives, arrows, human inflicted wounds. The few that had managed to survive began crawling out of hiding in the surrounding woods when he and the rest of his raiding party arrived.

"Kaneto!" Kouji shouted, spying the most trustworthy of the gathered surviving men. The bandit in question looked up sharply at the sound of his name. "What the hell happened here?"

"Mercs," Kaneto replied quickly. "Attacked in broad daylight. No one saw it comin' 'till hey were already inside."

"_Inside_!?" Kouji was furious. "Who was on watch?" He looked around at all the men gathered around him. They looked to one another as if unwilling to say. Kouji looked pointedly at Kaneto. "Genrou left me in charge. So talk. Who was on watch?" Kaneto swallowed.

"Shigeru," he reluctantly admitted. Kouji felt his stomach heave. Shigeru was one of their best. He wasn't among the survivors.

"What happened to 'im?" Kouji asked. The ragged and tattered men before him refused to look him in the eye. All found something far more interesting to look at elsewhere. "Well?"

"He rode off with 'em," Kaneto finally answered.

"Whaddaya mean, 'rode off with 'em'?" Kouji demanded.

"He fought 'long side the mercs. I saw him run a couple a men through with his blade, ours; they didn't have a chance. They didn't know he was a lyin' traitor 'till it was too late. And when the mercs took off, he was with 'em." Kouji blinked in disbelief. He never would have thought Shigeru, of all the bandits, capable of treason. "He's the one that let 'em in." That last was the final blow. If a man as trusted as Shigeru could turn coat, any of them could. The Mt. Leikaku Bandits were falling apart at the seams. Genrou was not going to like this.

"Tell 'im the other thing," one of the others piped up, talking to Kaneto. Kouji raised his yebrows, looking pointedly at the men.

"There was this woman," Kaneto started, looking Kouji directly in the eye for the first time. "She was with the mercs." He paused as of deciding how best to proceed. "She's like a demon or somethin'. Before the mercs left, she made the whole mountain shake 'till the burnin' hideout fell." Kouji's eyes darted to the smoking piles of rubble. He'd assumed the earthquake had done it, but he'd never thought the earthquake was purposely caused by someone. Hell, he hadn't even known it was possible. He wished Genrou hadn't run off to Eiyou. This was too much responsibility for Kouji's tastes.

"You," he said, pointing at six men from the raiding party, "make camp an' take care a these horses." He pointed out three others. "You fix these guys up, then look for other survivors. If there ain't anybody, bury the dead." Kouji pointed to the rest of the raiding party, "You start cleanin' up that mess." Kouji acted as overseer as the men started to work and clearing away debris. He made sure they were setting aside anything that could be salvaged, and piling up the broken, half-burned planks that could be used for firewood. Satisfied that things were well under way, Kouji decided it was time to do some conferencing. "Kaneto, Tohru," he called, signaling out the two men specifically, "come with me."

Both men followed Kouji as he led them along the destroyed defensive wall and up a winding path that skirted a steep cliff along the hillside. The trees eventually gave way to a clearing, at the back of which was nestled a small stone structure. Kouji headed straight for the door and pried the rotting wooden thing open. Inside it was dim, but it was clean, save for a light blanket of dust that had settled with disuse. Kaneto and Tohru hesitated at the threshold.

"Ain't this the old boss' tomb?" Kaneto asked with the faintest hint of fear in his voice.

"Yeah," Tohru replied. "I think yer right."

"It's his tomb, all right," Kouji confirmed, stepping inside. "No one'll be comin' round listening in. They're all scared as you." The two bandits hesitated once more. "The old boss ain't goin' ta get up out of there and start talkin' or nothin'. Get in here." They scurried inside, holding their breath until they were certain a ghost wasn't going to jump out at them.

"So, why'd ya wanna see us?" Tohru asked tenatively.

"You two are the only bandits I trust, 'cept Genrou," he said. "Anything I say in here stays in here. You think you can keep your mouths shut?" The two nodded vigorously. "Good." Kouji leaned heavily on the top of the stone coffin where the old boss was entombed. "This'll be our headquarters," he explained. "We'll make all our plans from here." Kaneto and Tohru nodded again.

"So whata ya got ta say? What's this all about?" Kaneto asked.

"Genrou went off to Eiyou," he started. "No tellin' when he'll get back. So it's up ta us ta take care a this mess." Both other men nodded. "Kaneto, you know why the mercs attacked?"

"I don't know why they came, but I think they'll be back," Kaneto said. "It ain't like mercs ta not loot."

"You got somethin' there," Kouji agreed. Mercs never ransacked a place and left empty handed. They would definitely be back. There was a stash of treasure, though well hidden, large enough to be well worth the effort to locate it. It was customary for the Leikaku bandit treasury to get a share of the take before the rest was divided out among the men. They used this 'bandit money' to pay for food, a good supply of sake, repairs, horses, all the necessities that a community like theirs required. If it was the treasure the mercs were after, then they'd be back later to sift through the cooled ash to get it. Only he and Genrou knew it's location, but all the bandits knew of it's existence. Shigeru knew about the stash, just like everyone else, and was probably the one to tip off the mercs. There was just one detail that really bothered Kouji. "What about that woman. How'd she cause the 'quake?"

"She's a demon," Kaneto told them again. "She just walked up ta the hideout, put her hands on the ground, an' it started ta shake." Kouji didn't like the sound of that one bit.

"We can't do nothin' 'bout her right now," Kouji said after a long moment of thought. "We got other things ta do. We'll fix the outer wall an' the gate. No tellin' when those mercs'll come back." Tohru and Kaneto nodded. "Then, we need supplies from the valley. Most a what we had probably burned."

"I'm cook, I know what supplies ta get," Tohru volunteered. Kouji nodded.

"I'll give ya the money for it. It'll drain the bandit money. We'll have ta get some more." Kouji saw Kaneto's eyes gleaming. "Got a idea?"

"Ol' Lord Shou," Kaneto said. "He crossed the pass a week back with a big ol' load a silk. He'll be comin' back any day now with a big ol' load a money!"

"Good," Kouji said, the same gleam in his eye, the kind of gleam a bindit got when there was loot to be had. "You wanna take care a that?"

"Gimme a few men and no problem." Kouji nodded. "Hey," Kaneto suddenly asked. "What you gonna do?"

"I gotta make sure the wall gets done," Kouji reminded. "And there's other stuff. Like worryin' about that demon woman." Kaneto and Tohru both nodded. "Let's go," Kouji said. They quickly left the tomb and replaced the rotting door in the doorway. Then they scurried down the path along the cliff toward the main area of the compound.

~~~~

To be continued…

Fushigi Akugi:

(I know, I don't normally do these like some authors do, but my roommate and I found this funny. Of course, it was three in the morning…)

"Tell 'im the other thing," one of the others piped up, talking to Kaneto. Kouji raised his eyebrows, looking pointedly at the men. Kaneto swallowed, then looked down at the ground, refusing to meet Kouji's eyes.

"Your fly is open."

(Okay, okay, lame, I know.)

End Notes: Eek! Bandit-speak! I think I'm going to go crazy. I was writing a homework assignment last night, and I found myself writing it in bandit-speak. So what do you think of it? Is it a bit too quirky for you? Let me know. ~Sapphire


	11. Part Ten: Looking for Answers

Disclaimer: FY is not mine. Don't sue me.

Warnings: This part rated PG. Minimal Language. Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes: Okay, so Hazel says to my last posting, "I love it love it love it." If that isn't an ego booster, I don't know what is. Bless you, all of you who send me compliments. You have no idea how much your praise keeps me going. ~Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Ten ~ Looking for Answers…

It was clear the woman was distraught, and both Tasuki and Chichiri knew it was best to let the subject drop for the time being. Upset females were incoherent at best, in Tasuki's opinion. They'd question her when she had calmed down.

"It's not important, no da," Chichiri commented casually. Tasuki carefully got to his feet, letting the far more sensitive monk deal with the woman. Chichiri stood a moment later, then joined Tasuki as he headed toward what remained of the little pavilion and poked around a little.

"Damn thing nearly came down on our heads," Tasuki complained gruffly.

"It must have been weakened in the earthquake," Chichiri surmised.

"It picked a hell of a time to fall over," Tasuki vented. He kicked at a piece of solid rock, then bit back a yelp at the sharp throb in his toe. He noticed the woman watching them mutely. He couldn't begin to wonder what she was thinking.

"Are you okay?" Chichiri asked her, pulling Tasuki along with him as he made his way over to her. The woman looked up at both men standing over her. Tasuki wondered if she knew she was still sitting in the flower bed. She nodded slowly. "Let us help you up," Chichiri offered. She nodded again. She wasn't very talkative, Tasuki noticed. That was a change. Women usually talked his ear off. Even Miaka had been prone to that particular feminine fault. With a sigh, he reached down to help Chichiri bring the woman to her feet.

"Ow!" she yelped as they each took an arm and pulled. Tasuki looked at Chichiri, surprised, and they immediately dropped their hold on her. Tasuki watched as the woman clutched at her left arm the moment her hands were free. Chichiri dropped down to his knees next to her.

"Her arm is broken," Chichiri told Tasuki, looking up at him.

"Sorry," Tasuki quickly apologized to the woman. He'd been the one to unknowingly grab hold of her broken arm. "I didn't know." She just nodded mutely. Tasuki felt terrible. He didn't like women, but that didn't mean he liked seeing them hurt. He liked it even less when he was the cause of it.

"I forgot about that, no da," Chichiri told Tasuki with an apologetic look. Then the monk turned back to the woman. "We'll take you back to your room if you want." She nodded, the muscles in her jaw flexing as she clenched her teeth against the pain she was in. "This way, Miss... Da! What _is_ your name?" Tasuki glanced over at the two. Chichiri was right. They didn't even know the woman's name yet.

"Its Aneko. Mitsu Aneko," she said as Chichiri helped her up and started them off toward her room. Tasuki followed close behind. "What's your name?"

"My name is Ri Houjun, but you can call me Chichiri, no da," he answered. Tasuki was almost shocked. Chichiri never used his given name when he introduced himself. He wondered what was going on inside the monk's head.

"Chichiri," the woman, Aneko, repeated slowly, getting used to the strange name. She looked at Tasuki. "And you?" she asked.

"Tasuki," he answered shortly. Again she repeated the name to herself.

"Miss Mitsu?" Chichiri said, glancing at her, "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course," she replied.

"Do you know where you are?" That was a good question, Tasuki thought. Aneko gave Chichiri a suspicious glance.

"You said I was in the Imperial Palace in Eiyou," she replied. "Why, were you lying to me?"

"No, you are, no da," Chichiri assured her. She breathed a sigh of relief. Tasuki thought it was almost comical the way she trusted them one moment, and was suspicious of them the next.

"I was told that this is the capitol of Konankoku," Aneko volunteered, "but other than that...I think I'm lost. I- I'm not even sure how I got here. I'm very confused about a lot of things." The monk was thoughtful for a few moments as they walked in relative silence. Tasuki wondered what was going through his friend's head. The more they learned about Aneko, the more mysterious she became. He wondered if any of the monk's thoughts mimicked his own.

"I'd like to help you out, no da," Chichiri offered. "I think I know a way to answer a lot of your questions, and a lot of mine." He was planning something, Tasuki knew. He wondered what it was.

"I'll gladly take that help," Aneko consented. "I came to this city to find just that." Chichiri nodded. Tasuki remained silent.

~~~~

A few short hours later Aneko found herself in an exceptionally large and ornate chamber kneeling before a woman on a throne. The woman was young, with long, dark hair and big, bright, violet eyes. She looked very regal in her luxurious silks and jeweled crown. The Empress nodded slightly, acknowledging Aneko, then turned to Chichiri and Tasuki with a smile.

"Tasuki, its been almost a year since you were last here," she said. "We are sincerely glad to see you again."

"I've been busy with the bandits," Tasuki replied vaguely. "I thought I'd come see what was goin' on when things started gettin' weird." The Empress smiled again, apparently amused by his feigned nonchalance.

"So, Chichiri," the Empress said, turning to the monk. "Who do we have staying with us?"

"Her name is Mitsu Aneko," Chichiri answered.

"Welcome to Eiyou and the Imperial Palace, Miss Mitsu. We are pleased to have you stay with us," the Empress said graciously.

"I am honored, Highness," Aneko said, bowing her head respectfully. She hoped she was showing the proper homage to the Empress of Konan. If she wanted help finding her way home, it wouldn't do to insult the Empress. "I thank you for your hospitality." Her words seemed to please the Empress. She motioned for Aneko to sit up, and she rose from her bent position.

"Do you know who we are?" the Empress asked her. Aneko looked up and met the other woman's eyes. She wasn't sure she was supposed to do that, but when the Empress said nothing of it, she stopped worrying about it.

"You are the Empress of Konankoku, Highness," she answered in a clear, but soft tone. "I don't know much about you, Majesty, or this land, but I've learned since coming here that some years ago there was a war. The Emperor died in battle. Now you rule as regent for your son, the crown prince." The Empress nodded in agreement.

"Yes. Three years we have served as Empress-Regent. You learn quickly for a foreigner," there was a measuring look in the Empress' eyes as she said those words. That look did not escape Aneko. She had known she would be under scrutiny before she had entered the audience chamber of the Empress.

"It's wise to know the politics of whatever land you find yourself in," Aneko replied evenly.

"Indeed," the Empress agreed. "Tell me, how long have you been in Konan?" Aneko thought for a few moments before making a reply.

"I'm not sure. I don't know how long I was unconscious. Before that, I can remember being here for only two and a half days." She looked at Chichiri, wondering if it would be permissible to speak to him when in audience with the Empress. She looked to the Empress. She seemed to be waiting for Aneko to make a move. She decided to chance it. "How long was I asleep?" she asked the monk. She held her breath a moment, anticipating some kind of appalled response from the court, but none came.

"Five days, no da," Chichiri told her. Her eyes flew open wide with surprise.

"Five days!" She felt a wave of homesickness. She'd been gone a total of a week. Did anyone even miss her back home? She frowned. There weren't many people who would miss her. She knew there was someone, but who, she couldn't remember. She scowled. She had never thought to wonder about her family since she'd gotten to this strange place. Now that she thought about it, she had the same fleeting memory she'd seen when trying to remember how'd she gotten to Konan. It was frustrating. Suddenly she realized that everyone in the large chamber, including the guards and the Empress' own attendants, was all staring at her. "I- I'm sorry," she apologized. "I was just- I was thinking of my home, and trying to remember...something."

"Do you miss this place you come from?" the Empress asked.

"I do, Your Majesty," she answered. "I want to go back, but I'm lost. I don't know the way. No one I've met has been able to help me."

"Perhaps we can help," the Empress said. "Where is your home?" Aneko didn't think telling them would be very helpful. So far no one had even heard of Tokyo. She looked first at the Empress, then at Tasuki. They seemed curious only. As she shifted her gaze to Chichiri, she sensed he was expecting something. She couldn't begin to fathom what.

"No one I've met here has ever heard of it. It's a city called Tokyo," she replied finally.

"Tokyo!?" both Chichiri and Tasuki exclaimed.

~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: I having nothing to say except that I hope you're enjoying "Suzaku's Orakuru", and I leave you to continue on to the next part. ~Sapphire


	12. Part Eleven: Finding Questions

Disclaimer: Ditto to all my previous disclaimers.

Warnings: This part rated G. Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes: Picking up right where we left off…

Oracles of the Four Gods

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Eleven ~ …Finding Questions

"You're from Tokyo?" Tasuki was incredulous.

"So I was right," Chichiri said.

"You know Tokyo?" Aneko asked hopefully.

"We've been to Tokyo. You're a long way from home, no da," Chichiri replied, exchanging a guarded glance with Tasuki. "How did you get here?" There was only one way to get from that world to this; a god had to have brought her. He had a fairly good idea which god was responsible.

Aneko looked uncomfortable under the scrutinizing gazes of the Empress, Tasuki, and himself. He watched her look nervously at the ground, before looking up at him. Chichiri nodded encouragingly, knowing her answer would involve the holy light of a god, more specifically, the red light of Suzaku.

"I don't know," she answered finally. "It's very strange. One moment I was one place, and the next I was another. I'm so confused."

"Whaddaya mean by that?" Tasuki demanded with a glare in the woman's direction. Aneko looked up at him, almost meekly, but not quite.

"Just what I said. One minute I was in one place, and the next I was somewhere entirely different," she repeated. Tasuki wasn't convinced. She was being awfully vague. Too vague for his liking. 

"Perhaps you should be more specific," the Empress said carefully.

"Da!" Chichiri agreed. "Tell us everything you can remember. Every detail you can recall." Something about Chichiri's expression made an impression upon Tasuki. He seemed so sure of himself, as though he knew what Aneko was going to say. This business screamed of the foreordained. Tasuki hated that feeling. That predestined feeling sat in the pit of his stomach like a stone. He didn't like it one bit. Fate had a funny way of asking the impossible of him. As his eyes locked with Aneko's gaze, he could see fear there. He wondered what she could possibly have to be afraid of. Unless she was lying. Or maybe she felt destiny, too. She met his gaze unflinching. Tasuki doubted she was lying, if she could look him in the eye as boldly that. Still...

"It sounds crazy," Aneko warned, "even to me, and I was there."

"That's all right," the Empress told her. "We've seen unbelievable things before." Tasuki had to work very hard not to choke over that. Unbelievable was an understatement. Empress Houki watched the woman carefully, noting how she held herself, the set of her shoulders, where her eyes rested, what she did with her hands; all were clues as to whether she spoke truth or falsehood.

"What I know is really very little," Aneko said. "I was walking along a narrow path in the woods. I was near a place called the Shizuku Ichi Village. It's outside a city called Morioka. I don't know why I was there to begin with, but it wasn't the first time I'd gone there."

"You don't know why?" Tasuki asked incredulously. He'd managed to recover from his choking fit. "You don't know, or you can't remember?"

"I can't remember," Aneko clarified. "I try, but I can't." 

"How convenient," Tasuki grumbled rolling his eyes. "Amnesia."

"I told you it would be hard to believe, and we haven't gotten to the strangest part yet," Aneko reminded, defensively.

The Empress shot Tasuki a silencing glare. She thought he could afford to be a little more sensitive. They needed to be objective, yes, but he was bordering on rude and cruel. Aneko had thus far given no sign of untruth. Memory was a curious thing, as curious a thing as emotion could be, and she knew all too well what emotions and memory could do to a person. Tasuki glared back at her insolently, but looked away when she gave him another piercing glare. She was the Empress after all, and he would keep further comments to himself.

"Please continue with what you do remember," the Empress instructed.

"When I try to remember why, all I see is the shape of a person, and all I feel is this heavy sadness. Sometimes I cry," Aneko admitted, "but I don't who it is, or who it might be." She took a long moment before continuing. "It was autumn. The leaves were falling, and it was cold, damp, and misty. I wasn't paying attention to anything until I came across this strange cave. The area around it was blackened, like something had exploded or burned there. It scared me, that place."

Now that was strange. Blackened ground as though something had burned there. Chichiri knew they were getting close to some real answers. "Why did it scare you?" he asked.

"Because, when I tried to walk away, something pulled me back, something I couldn't see or touch." Chichiri looked up quickly at Tasuki, and Tasuki met his gaze readily. They knew that feeling well. Now they were getting somewhere. "I wanted to, but I couldn't leave Genbu Grotto."

"Genbu!" Tasuki, Chichiri, and the Empress exclaimed in unison. Aneko started at their outburst.

"You're from Houkan, aren't you?!" Tasuki accused her wildly. "A spy!"

"No!" Aneko denied vehemently. "I'm from Tokyo. I've never heard of this 'Houkan' before now."

"I'll bet," Tasuki cut in sarcastically.

"I'm telling you the truth," Aneko retorted passionately. "I didn't ask the red light to come out of the ground and bring me here. All I want is to go home!"

"Great Suzaku," the Empress breathed in shock. 

"It was Suzaku," Chichiri declared. "Suzaku protected her from those slavers, too, no da." Tasuki and the Empress were too incredulous to deny his claims at the moment. "I think we should take her to the Shrine."

"What are you thinking!?" Tasuki threw at Chichiri, recovering from his shock. "Do you want to bring the wrath of Suzaku down on the entire Konan Empire? Only Suzaku's chosen are allowed there."

"That's not true, and you know it, Tasuki," Chichiri countered. "The barrier shield I placed around the shrine only repels those who try to enter and don't belong there."

"We cannot risk the fury of a god," the Empress spoke up.

"Anyone can go to the shrine," Chichiri said, "anyone can enter it as long as they serve Suzaku. If they don't, or they intend harm, they can't cross the barrier, no da." Chichiri looked from the Empress to Tasuki. "I don't think she'll be refused, no da. I think she's one of Suzaku's chosen." Tasuki stared at him in disbelief.

"We just heard her say she was in a place dedicated to Genbu. How could she be of the Suzaku?" the Empress demanded.

"I would never, ever, dishonor Suzaku," Chichiri declared, removing his mask, revealing his face. Aneko's mouth dropped open. She stared at Chichiri. This man, with the scar on his face, was the one who'd come to help when she'd been attacked. She knew it had been Chichiri, but she somehow consciously missed the fact his face had dramatically changed. No wonder she had thought he was hiding something from her. "The Universe of the Four Gods was burned. We don't know what else it might have prophesized, no da," Chichiri reminded. "There could be a second person from another world-"

"What do you mean another world!?" Aneko exclaimed, interrupting. The others suddenly seemed to notice she was still there. "Is that why everything is so different here?" They remained silent. A gnawing fear was forming in the pit of her stomach. "Is there a way for me to get home?"

"It's hard to say," Chichiri replied gently. "The Priestess of Suzaku was returned to your world. Maybe you will be, too, no da." Aneko stared at him wide-eyed. Was he saying she might not be able to go home? Didn't they understand that was all she wanted? She couldn't believe it was impossible.

Empress Houki noticed the color drain from Aneko's face. She really did feel sorry for the girl, but if she was the enemy...

"I think we outta throw her out now," Tasuki stated. "I don't trust her." The Empress had to agree with the trust issue, but...everything about her said she was being honest. Instinct said she was telling the truth. It was only the logic of the mind that made the Empress doubt.

"We do not know what to think," Houki finally said.

"Red light surrounded Aneko when the slavers were attacking her," Chichiri reminded. "The symbol for 'oni' appeared on her forehead." Empress Houki had to admit Chichiri wasn't one to lie or embellish upon the truth.

"I beg your pardon, Highness, but I don't appreciate being talked about as though I wasn't here." Empress Houki was surprised to see Aneko standing, one hand on her hip, glaring indignantly at her and the two celestial warriors. "I don't know who this 'Suzaku' is, or why this shrine is so important, but it seems to me, if visiting this shrine will give you answers and lay aside doubts, then that's what should be done." The court held it's collective breath at the outburst, but Houki had to smile.

"That is the wisest thing to do," the Empress agreed, "and that is exactly the conclusion we have come to."

~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: Houki, when thinking how memories and emotions are curious things and having strange effects on people, was referring to herself when she went into mourning over Hotohori's death. (Thought I'd clarify if anyone was wondering. I never go into that train of thought in the story.) One more thing…if anyone has any funny ideas for a Fushigi Akugi, e-mail them to me. I'll go back and add them to the chapters they pertain to, and, of course, I'll credit the idea or the completed spoof to whomever suggested or wrote it. That's all. ~Sapphire


	13. Part Twelve: Suzakuseikun

Disclaimer: Fushigi Yugi is not mine. Sad, isn't it?

Warnings: This part Raged PG for mild Tasuki Language. Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes: Okay, I'm in the middle of my finals week, but do I care? No. What do I do? Read the new book I waited ages to be published (Jean M. Auel's latest Earth's Children novel "Shelters of Stone"). That, and obsessing over my fanfic. So, just to feel like I accomplished something this week, I'm going to post another chapter, though I wasn't really planning to. Enough ranting. Enjoy. ~Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Twelve ~ Suzakuseikun

"Are you sure about this?" Tasuki asked Chichiri. The monk nodded with conviction. "Fine," Tasuki relented. "I'll trust you. Even if I don't trust _her_." He glanced furtively in Aneko's direction. Chichiri nodded as they walked toward the shrine, Aneko following meekly behind them, a guard on either side of her. Chichiri thought the security was a little uncalled for, but the Empress insisted, since she was accused of being a spy from Houkan.

The ward place on the Shrine of Suzaku had originally been intended as a safe haven for the Empress and the young prince should they ever come under attack. Only those who served Suzaku or sought sanctuary were admitted. Anyone intending harm would be repelled. Unless Aneko were completely innocent, she would not be allowed admittance by the beast god. If she passed through with no repercussion, it would prove her innocence. 

Aneko followed the seishi through the palace to a large, ornate door. She knew without being told they had reached the Shrine of Suzaku. Both warriors turned to her. Chichiri gave her a reassuring smile. Tasuki shot her a dubious look. Her stomach was beginning to tie itself into knots.

"Wait here," Chichiri told her, "We won't be long." Aneko watched nervously as Tasuki pushed open the heavy doors and stepped inside the cavernous room beyond. Chichiri was close on his heels, and she was left with the two silent guards watching her through the corners of their eyes. She did her best to peer inside, curious of what awaited her on the other side, but could see very little in the dimly lit room.

"Hey! What the hell is that?" Tasuki exclaimed, pointing to the enormous statue of Suzaku just behind the altar. A glow surrounded the phoenix, like a living aura, and the eyes were shimmering rubies. Tasuki felt strangely drawn to that aura, but he was frozen in place by reverent fear.

On the altar before the statue and sacrificial fire were Nuriko's bracelets, pulsing with a life force of red energy. Then Tasuki pointed at the prayer beads around the monk's neck. They, too, had begun to shimmer with that strange aura. Tasuki reached behind him and pulled his Tessen from its scabbard. The eerie aura crackled with energy around it.

"Shit," Tasuki breathed in awe. "I've never seen anything like it."

"No da," Chichiri agreed, nearly speechless. Tasuki saw a sudden flare from the shrine's altar. He looked up just in time to see the statue's eyes come alive. By the faint gasp he heard from Chichiri, Tasuki knew the monk had seen it, too. Watching the eyes, unable to look away, he saw they were searching for something. When the eyes found their quarry, they focused intently upon it. Tasuki could feel the compelling pull of those eyes, though he knew the eyes were not calling to him. He tore his gaze from the statue to look at Chichiri. The monk was not what the eyes sought, either. Chichiri slowly turned to return Tasuki's glance. They turned to look behind them simultaneously.

"What's _she_ doing?" Tasuki reached out to stop Aneko as she walked slowly toward them.

"Leave her," Chichiri commanded, putting a hand on Tasuki's arm to restrain his friend. "She's just walked right through the warded barrier, no da." Tasuki watched, his eyes wide with disbelief as the woman walked right past them, toward the altar, as if in a trance. "She's what Suzaku was looking for, no da."

Aneko was only somewhat aware of her actions. The compulsion upon her was so strong; there was barely room for anything else in her existence. She passed into the shimmering aura surrounding the shrine without disturbing it in the least. Once she reached the altar, she seemed to snap out of her daze, and she looked around in childlike awe. With a more conscious mind, she glanced to the top of the Phoenix statue where the glowing eyes looked down upon her. She gasped, and took a step backward at the sheer power of their gaze.

"Do not be afraid," a disembodied voice echoed in the vaulted ceilings above them. Aneko started again, and took another step back.

"Suzaku?" Chichiri uttered, the presence of the beast god filling his senses.

"Indeed. It is I, Suzakuseikun," the voice confirmed.

"No shit?" Tasuki was enraptured, only having seen the beast god appear twice, and never having communicated directly with Suzaku.

"I am," Suzaku repeated before his eyes found Aneko again. "Do you still fear me, Lady?" His eyes were piercing Aneko's, as if searching the depths of her soul. Suzaku was searching her soul, for that was the way Suzaku, a god before mortal men, was able to best read the people who served and worshipped him. Aneko was easily lost in the warm red glow radiating from Suzaku, and he saw her eyes glaze over and her eyelids slide half closed with the sleepiness his presence was bound to affect her with. Suzaku felt her mind ease, and her heart find a peace she was unable to attain on her own. She was slipping into a trance, deeper this time, and Suzaku knew she wouldn't mind if she never woke from it. He brushed a warm and soft feather against her face. Aneko peered through her heavy eyelids only to see a beautiful pattern of many delicate red feathers he held before her. He waved the feather away, drawing her attention back to his glowing eyes shining through the shrine statue. "Do you still fear me?" the words echoed through the room.

"A little," her voice sounded small and weak to the god.

"Why do you fear me?" Suzaku pressed.

"I have no reason not to fear you," she answered simply. She was unable to lie, or even shade the truth in the god's presence.

"Then you do not recognize me," Suzaku said knowingly. "I was the one that brought you here, and protected you upon your arrival in this world, and continue to do so. It was I that sent Chichiri to you that you may be brought to the palace and my shrine," Suzaku explained.

"You brought me here? You made the red light?" If a god could be amused, Suzaku was. The woman before him had no inkling of the power he possessed. Nor did she understand the purpose to which she was born. At least, she didn't have any conscious inkling. Suzaku humored her and answered her questions.

"I did," Suzaku told her, "and it is I that will eventually set you to your purpose."

"Purpose?" Aneko asked, curious.

"First you must learn, and you must stop hiding from yourself." Suzaku loosened his hold on her, though he did not break it completely, and he felt the resonance of the dreamy haze lifting from her mind. He kept her within the aura of his own life force that surrounded the phoenix statue. Doing so near would inevitably awaken her abilities much faster. Of all beings in existence, the Four Gods alone knew the true value of time. "My Shichiseishi," Suzaku said, turning the glowing eyes to the two warriors. They were at rapt attention, having watched the exchange between Suzaku and Aneko, and were ready to learn their part. "A great evil has been unleashed in this world. Take this woman, teach her what you can, help her to become strong. Protect my Orakuru as you protected my Miko, Miaka." They nodded and bowed solemnly to accept the task set to them.

Suzaku withdrew, his aura fading from sight, returning to whence it came. His eyes glowed, watching them as the magic and power receded, and the three mortals were completely released from the grip he had on them. They would do well, he knew. Then he was gone, leaving the room dark, save for the glow given off by the sacrificial fire left burning.

When Suzaku's presence was completely gone, Tasuki stood. Chichiri looked up at him from where he still knelt. They looked between each other. Tasuki knew what the monk was thinking. They had come searching for answers, and they had gotten them. The problem was, they had gotten more questions as well. Tasuki watched as Chichiri's gaze shifted to the woman standing at the altar. His own eyes followed, and they waited in silence as Aneko continued to stare up at the now vacant eyes of the phoenix statue. After a long time, she turned to face them.

"Orakuru?" she softly asked. "Oracle?"

~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: Writing a character like Suzaku is fun! He's a god, so anything omnipotent and/or omniscient goes! As always, comments and _constructive_ criticisms are welcome! ~Sapphire


	14. Part Thirteen: Absent

Disclaimer: _Fushigi Yugi_ does not belong to me. It belongs to Watase and those afore mentioned corporate types.

Warnings: The part rated G. Overall this is a PG-13 rated fic.

Notes: I went home over the summer fully intending to post at least once a month. When I got there, I discovered that our internet connection was so bad, I couldn't get the pages to upload, and when I went to read other people's fics, I could only get a partial page to load before it timed out. You can't imagine how F-R-U-S-T-R-A-T-I-N-G that is! So, now that I'm back at school, I can start posting again. I hope I didn't loose all my readers. I'm soooo sorry! but the hateful inconvenience couldn't be helped. ~Sapphire

"Oracles of the Four Gods"

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Thirteen ~ Absent

"Good, I'm glad the three of you could come so quickly," Taiitsukun said, addressing the young people before her. "I must speak with you on a matter concerning Suzaku no Orakuru."

"Has she come to the mountain?" the blond young woman before her asked, excitement sparkling in her blue eyes.

"No, Kaori. She is still in Konankoku," Taiitsukun began.

"Why wasn't she called with us?" Wataru asked. This young man was by far Taiitsukun's favorite of the oracles. He often remained silent, watching what went on around him, mulling it over in his mind. The man was intelligent, as well. His observations were often right on the mark. This instance was no exception. He had pinpointed the mystical one's exact intentions for calling the oracles to her. "If you summoned the oracles, why isn't Suzaku no Orakuru here on Mt. Daikyoku with us?"

"Is Aneko all right?" Danno queried, worry etching it's way into his features. His emerald eyes were searching her own depthless brown ones for answers that were not there.

"Suzaku has interfered directly with the sequence of Aneko's destiny. The beast god deliberately placed Aneko in the path of the Seishi Chichiri, then made certain he found her."

"Then it's just as Kaori and I thought," Wataru commented with a nod. "We wondered as much when we discovered Chichiri had beaten us to Aneko." Taiitsukun nodded with a scowl.

"There's more," Taiitsukun agreed, shortly. "At the same time, Tasuki was making his way toward the Imperial capital of Konan where he would also meet Suzaku no Orakuru."

"But why?" Wataru asked thoughtfully. "If the Shichiseishi of a god live at the time of an oracle's coming, the Seishi are not allowed contact with the oracle until after the oracle has obtained the powers promised to him or her by the gods."

"That is what you told us, isn't it?" Kaori put in.

"That is precisely how it should be," Taiitsukun agreed. "Why Suzaku would choose to alter the order of things is unclear. What _is_ clear is that Suzaku did intentionally interfere. I know this because Suzaku has spoken directly with the two Seishi, and Aneko."

"But that should be impossible!" Kaori exclaimed. "The oracles can't speak to the gods until they obtain their full powers-"

"Suzaku no Orakuru did not call the god. Suzaku Called _her_. As for why she isn't here with the rest of you, that is because Suzaku has made certain that I am unable to make contact with Aneko." This news stunned her audience. Two pairs of green eyes and one pair of blue stared at her in disbelief. Taiitsukun wasn't surprised. None of this was conforming to what they knew of their destiny. It wasn't even conforming to what Taiitsukun herself had believed for centuries. "And since you brought up powers, her abilities have already begun to manifest themselves at full potential," Taiitsukun informed them. "It is normal for some of an oracle's powers to show themselves in small quantities, such as Danno's ability to gather and use small amounts of life force, and Kaori's ability to transport herself from one place to another, or even Wataru's ability to freeze things in his hands, but Aneko has thus far displayed the amazing ability to fully use one of the seven Seishi's power."

"How can that be?" Kaori interjected.

"From what I observed, Aneko was not consciously controlling the power. It was an accident that she was able to effectively use it against her attackers. None-the-less, she showed that she _could_ fully use it, should she try. I believe Aneko is under intense emotional strain. That could possibly be the source from which her ability stems," Taiitsukun explained.

"What kind of emotion? What happened to her?" Danno demanded, a hard look coming to his face. He looked ready to jump up and pummel something, or someone. "If someone hurt her..."

"Calm yourself," Taiitsukun ordered. "The situation has been dealt with." She steadied an intense gaze on the young man until he settled down and was ready to pay attention again. "There is more you should know."

"More?" Kaori sounded incredulous. "How much more bizarre can we get?"

"When Suzaku spoke to his Seishi and Orakuru, he warned them of a great evil that had descended upon this world. I, too, have felt this evil, and believe it is the cause for Suzaku's interference," Taiitsukun related.

"What kind of evil are we dealing with?" Wataru wanted to know.

"I'm not entirely certain," Taiitsukun replied. "From the time I was first aware of it's presence, it seems to have grown in power, and it continues to grow."

"Getting stronger? What can we do to stop it?" Kaori demanded. "I assume that's why you're telling us about it."

"You are right to think the responsibility of this will fall on your shoulders," Taiitsukun asserted. "As for what you should do, I can't tell you. Not enough is known about this evil. For now, we must watch and wait."

~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: Short, I know, but I hope that answers some questions about those two mysterious characters that popped up in chapter five. I'm going to post the next part as well. It's been all summer since my last post, four months! I figured you deserved a little more than just this. ~Sapphire


	15. Part Fourteen: Oracle

Disclaimer: I'm thinking we need a change of pace. Let's try this in another language. How about German? I can do that. _Fushigi Yugi ist nicht mein._

Warnings: The part rated PG. Mild Tasuki language. Overall rating PG-13.

Notes: And here's the next chapter, as promised. It's quite a bit longer than the last one was. Enjoy! ~Sapphire

"Oracles of the Four Gods"

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Fourteen ~ Oracle

"Suzaku called you Orakuru?" Empress Houki asked Aneko quizzically. "An Oracle?" She fell silent, then looked to Chichiri. "Can you recall any such thing in the legends?" She watched as Chichiri turned inward to his own thoughts. He seemed to search his own memory before looking up again and slowly shaking his head.

"No, Your Highness. I'm sorry, no da."

"And Suzaku likened her to Suzaku no Miko, Miaka?" The connection between the two women of the other world was an important one. If Aneko was to fill a place as important as the Miko, then that meant many things to her, her son, the Seishi, and all of Konan.

"Suzaku said, 'Protect my Orakuru as you protected my Miko, Miaka.' Can't get more alike 'n that," Tasuki put in. Houki sighed and leaned back in the throne. Something was happening, then. The gods never called their chosen except in times of great need. After the death of Emperor Saihitei, Konan had taken long years to recover as much as it had. She had worked long and hard over the past year to bring everything under her control and begin building the country strong again. Yet, Konan was still far from healed. She hated to think all their work could be undone, or worse.

"Your Highness," Chichiri interrupted her thoughts. "Suzaku told us a great evil has been unleashed. I believe that's why Suzaku brought Aneko here, no da." Houki was a bit startled. Her suspicions were correct.

"What kind of evil?" the Empress beseeched. Chichiri and Tasuki both shrugged.

"Suzaku didn't say," Tasuki informed her. Houki sat in silent thought for a few moments. She would be in council until late that night, she knew. This was a serious matter that required immediate attention. She would just have to call her recovering council members out of their beds. Their injuries would have to heal at the council table. There was no way around it now.

"Did the beast god tell you anything else?"

"No, Highness," Chichiri replied. Houki nodded. She turned to Aneko. She thought it best to settle the situation with the young woman first, then attend to the other matters.

"Mitsu Aneko," she said with a smile, "as the chosen of Suzaku, you have claim to anything you need to fulfill your calling." The Empress turned to her attendants. "Prepare a proper room for the Lady Aneko, near the Celestial Warriors, should the need of their protection arise. Be sure she has everything she needs to be comfortable." Two of the women bowed obediently, then hurried off to do the Empress' bidding. The young Empress faced Aneko once again and smiled a real, genuine smile. "Go, rest, whatever you must. Perhaps soon you can come visit us and we may talk." Aneko smiled warmly in return, then bowed down respectfully and thankfully. The Empress stood. Chichiri and Tasuki also bowed. Then the Empress took her leave, disappearing through the exit behind the throne, followed closely by her remaining attendants.

~~~~

Aneko sat before a dressing table and mirror, freshly bathed and wearing a luxurious, pale yellow, silk robe; her own clothes had been hung to dry after a good washing. Vibrant blue eyes looked over the items set neatly out on the dressing table. Some she had never seen before, others were easily recognizable. Her delicate hand picked up a fine handled brush and began to pull it through her mass of tangled, damp hair. As she brushed, Aneko watched her reflection for some time, wondering if she were living in a dream. It was hard to believe she was in a world different from the one she'd always known.

Her gaze caught her reflection, and strayed to the dark mark on her right cheek. Her mouth turned down in a scowling frown. The ugly bruise, turning a sickly yellow, was proof enough she wasn't dreaming, even without the ache of her broken arm. At least the bruise was in it's last stages before it would fade away. Broken bones didn't heal quite that fast. How she had withstood the pain while traveling, she didn't know. Come to think of it, she didn't know how she withstood the pain now.

"You don't look happy, no da." Chichiri commented. Aneko peered into the mirror and saw the reflection of the wandering monk standing behind her near the open door. She noticed his mask was once again in it's place.

"How long have you been standing there?" Aneko asked, fatigue evident in her voice.

"Not long," Chichiri replied softly. "I just got here." Aneko sighed.

"You could have knocked or something," she remarked. She watched as the other Suzaku warrior walked in behind him. "Hello, Tasuki," she said, turning around to face them. Chichiri stared back at her in confusion.

"Tasuki isn't here," he told her, his expression confused. Aneko started.

"Hey, where'd he go?" she exclaimed, more confused than Chichiri.

"Where'd who go?" Tasuki asked, strolling casually into the room.

"You!" Aneko declared, pointing her finger at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I just got here," Tasuki told her.

"What?" Aneko looked from Tasuki to Chichiri, then back at Tasuki again. "But I saw your reflection in the mirror." She looked at her mirror. It was ordinary enough. Nothing strange or special. She turned back to the warriors, confused. They looked back at her with matching expressions.

"I think I know what's going on," Chichiri said suddenly.

"Yeah, she's crazy," Tasuki accused, pointing at Aneko.

"I know what I saw," she told him flatly. Tasuki glared, opening his mouth to retort but closed his mouth when Chichiri held up a hand to silence him.

"Aneko, you say you saw Tasuki come into the room just before he did, right?" Aneko nodded. "It's like the other day when the roof fell before it fell, no da." Aneko's eyes lit up in understanding.

"A premonition?" Aneko prompted, rising from her seat at the vanity.

"Premonitions?" Tasuki was incredulous. "You mean she can see th' future?" Chichiri nodded. "Damn." He thought a moment, internalizing that information. "Suzaku called you 'Orakuru,' right?" Tasuki wondered thoughtfully. "Oracles have a damn funny way of knowin' the future."

"That must be her power, no da," Chichiri speculated. "She's one of Suzaku's chosen. Even Miaka had power of her own, na no da. This must be Aneko's."

"Power?" Aneko wondered. "Psychic abilities? I could see my own future?"

"So, can ya tell me my fortune?" Tasuki asked Aneko, holding out his palm for her to read. She looked at him with a dubious expression.

"I see a certain red head getting smacked by a certain brunette if he doesn't get serious," Aneko replied.

"I don't think it's that kind of power," Chichiri sighed. Tasuki looked contrite and withdrew his hand.

"I was just havin' some fun," he mumbled. Aneko sighed wearily.

"I'm sorry. I guess I'm not handling this very well. It's a lot to take in."

"Yeah, I guess," Tasuki said, looking up at her.

"No hard feelings?" The last thing Aneko wanted was to be at war with someone she was supposed to be friends with.

"Nah," he assured her, then gave her a playful shove to prove it.

"Ow!" Aneko flinched, clasping onto her left arm, turning away defensively.

"Didn't think I pushed her that hard-" Tasuki started, "Aw, I forgot. I didn't mean..."

"I know," Aneko said with a weak smile as Chichiri took hold of her and guided her to a seat at the dressing table, "but you're starting to make a habit of this. It's got to stop."

"I know, I know," Tasuki admitted. "I didn't mean it this afternoon, either."

"I know," Aneko assured him. "Just be more careful, okay?" Tasuki nodded.

"Aneko, let go of your arm and let me look," Chichiri said, prying her hand away from the injury. Aneko reluctantly loosened her grip and let her hand drop to her lap. Chichiri rolled the sleeve of her robe up to her shoulder. "You shouldn't have taken off the splint, no da," he chastised her.

"It looks pretty bad," Tasuki breathed in shock as he peered over Chichiri's shoulder to see. "That looks like it really hurts. Did those slavers do that?" Neither Chichiri nor Aneko missed the flash of indignant anger in his eyes.

"Yes," Aneko answered between clenched teeth as Chichiri unintentionally jostled her arm.

"I think the swelling is down some," Chichiri said, eyeing her arm critically. "But it'll swell again from being bumped like that. You shouldn't have taken that splint off, no da."

"It was loose, and sliding off. Then it got wet in my bath," Aneko explained. "It's no excuse, I know, but I was going to see if someone would put on another one, honest." Chichiri sighed.

"Tasuki, will you go find a doctor that can come take care of this? The bone needs to be set." Tasuki nodded, then spun around and left on his errand. Chichiri stood, gently pulling Aneko to her feet as he did. He led her to her bed. "You should lay down and rest, and keep that arm still, no da." Chichiri made Aneko lay down, despite her protests.

"Chichiri, can I tell you something?" Aneko nearly whispered as he carefully settled her arm, making her as comfortable as he could.

"If you want," he replied with a shrug, stepping back a bit so she wasn't hidden in his shadow.

"I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate all you've done for me. Who knows where I'd be right now if Suzaku hadn't sent you to find me," Aneko said softly. "Thank-you for everything."

"You're welcome, no da."

~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: Just for fun, I've decided to put chapter 15 up so you'll have the entire first half of Suzaku's Orakuru. ~Sapphire


	16. Part Fifteen: Interlude

Disclaimer: As defined by the Oxford English Dictionary - A disavowal of claims or pretensions; a renunciation, denial, or rejection. In this case, I deny ownership of _Fushigi Yugi_. 

Warnings: This part rated G. Overall rating of PG-13. 

Notes: Not a whole lot going on in this part. Just trying to tie up some threads and make a jumping off point for the rest of Suzaku's Orakuru. ~ Sapphire

"Oracles of the Four Gods"

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Fifteen ~ Interlude

Chichiri was impatient while he and Tasuki waited outside Aneko's room. All was quiet beyond the closed doors, except for the occasional utterance of pain, and that made him nervous. All sound ceased after a time, and that made him worry. Despite his impatience, he managed to maintain an impassive expression and a clam demeanor as he perched on the railing of the pavilion's terrace. Tasuki, on the other hand, was suffering a major bout of guilt. He was pacing back and fourth along the length of the narrow garden walk just below the railing where Chichiri sat. It seemed hours had passed since the apprentice doctor had arrived to tend to Aneko, and it was starting to seem like the waiting would never end. When the door slowly swung open, Chichiri jumped down from his perch, and was joined an instant later by Tasuki. The Empress, who'd been inside watching over the entire proceeding, quietly stepped out, followed closely by the apprentice doctor.

"She okay?" Tasuki inquired.

"She's resting comfortably right now," the apprentice assured him. "The Lady's arm was beginning to heal improperly. I may be an apprentice, but my skill with such injuries is the reason my master sent me. I was able to correct the problem. Even so, it was a painful ordeal for the Lady. It is a blessing she fainted when she did. It spared her much. Give her time to rest, and she will recover." Chichiri allowed himself a sigh of relief. Tasuki evidently felt the same. His shoulders sagged, and he leaned heavily against the railing of the terrace as if exhausted. 

Empress Houki dismissed the apprentice and sent him off with one of the guards to collect payment for his services. Chichiri watched the apprentice disappear, the turned to the Empress when she gave a weary sigh. She looked up at him and smiled reassuringly.

"You needn't worry about me. You know council has this effect on me." She laughed softly, and Chichiri had to smile. "Go and get some rest. There's nothing more to be done tonight."

"Don't have ta ask twice," Tasuki said, shuffling past Chichiri and the Empress on his way to his own room and his inviting bed. "I'm beat. See ya in the morning."

"Goodnight, Tasuki," Chichiri called, then turned to go find his own bed.

"One moment, if you will," the Empress detained him. He turned back. "She asked for you," she told him. "The physician thought it unwise to accommodate her at the time. I thought you'd like to know." Chichiri nodded, then turned toward his room. "One more thing," she interrupted once again. He turned to face her a second time. "I'm not sure it's important, but I feel I should mention it. For a time she was delirious and was repeating the word 'Danno'. I am of the opinion 'Danno' is a person. Do you know who she was speaking of?"

"_Why did you leave me, Danno, why_?" her words came back so clearly. She'd been having some kind of dream at the time. Now this name again. Who was this Danno, and what relation was he or she to Aneko?

"I don't know if it's important, either, na no da," Chichiri told the Empress.

"Well, no matter. I only thought I should mention it."

"Thank-you, Your Highness." Empress Houki nodded her farewell, then left, her attendants and bodyguard in tow. Once she was gone from sight Chichiri swung the door to Aneko's room open and slipped inside the dimly lit room. The light came from a single lamp on a dressing table. It's light shone brighter than usual because the mirror behind it reflected it's light back into the room. The curtains along the bed were drawn back and tied to the bedposts. Just beyond them Chichiri could see Aneko clearly. Her face was pale and drawn, a testament to what she had been through only a short time ago. She didn't move, save the slow and even rise and fall of the blankets as she breathed. He suspected she wouldn't wake until late morning. With a sigh, he left the room, seeking his own bed and some much needed sleep.

~~~~

Awareness of a constant ache came before anything else. Slowly rising from the dregs of deep and dreamless slumber, Aneko came to consciousness in stages. When she realized the ache she felt was originating in her arm, she remembered the apprentice doctor, and the Empress sitting by her bedside as he worked. She cautiously lifted an eyelid, fearing the doctor was still there, ready to inflict more dreaded pain. Surprise, and then relief filled her when she found herself alone. Looking up, she noticed a faint light at the windows; it was morning. Carefully, Aneko rose until she was sitting upright with her feet on the cool floor. Giving her room a once over, she spied her clothes hanging where she'd left them to dry the night before. She dressed as quickly as she was able, then slipped out of her room into the fresh morning air.

It was early; the sun was barely above the horizon. Aneko felt a chill in the air, but she knew she'd stay warm if she kept at a brisk pace. She wasn't intent on a particular destination, she was simply eager to explore her surroundings. Wandering about the palace buildings, she found herself in the palace gardens. Stopping occasionally to breathe in their fragrance, she marveled at the multitudes of roses she found. Violets, pansies, daisies, and orchids; all were sweet smelling and beautiful. One plant in particular, which she could not readily identify, was a small yellow flower with five petals in the shape of a star and smelled like sunshine and honey. Aneko could not resist helping herself to a blossom, tucking it behind her ear to carry the scent with her.

Eventually she came to a place where the palace grounds opened out into a rolling lawn and wooded park. Aneko set out across the neatly trimmed grass and thought how wonderful it was not to be closed in by tall buildings and wall to wall jostling people. Near a pond, among a grove of trees, was a small temple. The bright reddish wood contrasted very well with the green of the surrounding leaves. Very picturesque, Aneko thought. Ambling past that, she followed the bank of the clear pond. The sun glinted off the still water, and when she leaned over a little, she could see her reflection as clearly as she would had it been a mirror.

Dark gray-brown stone rose up out of the pond's southernmost bank. One side looked quite climbable, and Aneko easily scaled it. The top was smooth and flat, except for one place where the rock protruded upward in the corner of the space. The stone was invitingly warm from the sun's rays. The protruding rock was smooth and slanted backward at an easy angle. Aneko sat down and leaned on it, then let her tired head rest against it as she drifted in thought. Was Suzaku truly a god? Was she really this oracle, the Orakuru, he said she was? With the quiet tranquility of the morning, and lingering thoughts of Suzaku, she slipped into sleep, and a dream. Her dream was very real, about a girl from another world who came to gather the seven stars and make her wishes come true, a dream that was a story she'd heard somewhere before...

~~~~

The first place Chichiri went when he woke was Aneko's room. He paused outside the door and knocked lightly, though he didn't expect an answer. When there was no answer, he swung the door open as quietly as he could and slipped inside. Aneko was no where to be seen. He was surprised. By all rights, she should still be soundly sleeping. Chichiri quickly dismissed his astonishment, and replaced it with worry. Suzaku had charged him with protecting her, and he couldn't protect her if he didn't know where she was. Quickly, he tapped into his Seishi senses. He was surprised how easily he could pick up her life force; easily identifiable considering hers was the only one, besides Tasuki's and his own, that was strong enough to come from a living being. Chichiri was surprised it led him to a place he himself liked to seek quiet and solitude. Nimbly, he climbed up the rock and was standing atop it in moments. She was curled up against the sun warmed stone, peacefully sleeping. 

"Aneko. Aneko, wake up," he said, bending down to nudge her shoulder. Slowly, she opened her eyes, holding a hand up to block the sun that was shining directly into them.

"Chichiri," she said groggily by way of greeting.

"I've been looking all over for you, no da," Chichiri told her. "Why aren't you in your room?"

"I woke early," Aneko said, struggling to get up with only the use of one hand. "I went for a morning walk and ended up taking a nap." Chichiri took hold of Aneko's free arm and pulled her to her feet. "Thank-you," she said.

"You should be resting, no da," Chichiri chided her gently.

"Can't get much more rest than sleeping," she replied with a soft laugh. "And I was having the nicest dream."

"You know what I meant, na no da," Chichiri pointed out with a smile.

"I know, but I'm fine," Aneko assured him, pulling her arm free of his grasp. "My arm aches, but otherwise..." Chichiri shook his head with mild exasperation. He suspected she was a lot like Tasuki- in that she didn't like being an invalid.

"The doctor said you should rest a few days. That means staying put in your room. Staying put in your bed would be even better," he told her.

"I don't need bed rest," Aneko countered. "I'll recover the same without it. Don't worry about me so much."

"Suzaku told me to take care of you, no da. Are you going to make my job difficult?" Chichiri demanded.

"Suzaku told you to protect me, not take care of me," Aneko corrected with an amused smile. Chichiri shrugged, barely managing to keep an embarrassed blush from his face. He wasn't quite sure why her teasing remark bothered him the way it did. Chichiri ignored it as he took Aneko firmly by the waist and started walking her toward the edge of the rock ledge. "Where are you taking me?" Aneko demanded, still unwilling to comply.

"I'm going to put you where you'll do the most good, no da," he told her. "I'm taking you back to your room." Aneko sighed in resignation and followed him obediently down off the rocks and back to her room.

"Okay," she agreed reluctantly. "I'll behave, but you can't make me sleep. And someone has to keep me company. You don't have TV."

"_TV_? What's that, no da?" Chichiri asked quizzically.

"Never mind," Aneko said with a laugh. "I doubt you'd believe me, even if I told you."

~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: There you have it. A clam before a storm. I hope you like, and that you plan on staying with me into the next half of Suzaku's Orakuru. Any questions or comments, you know where to sent them. ~Sapphire


	17. Part Sixteen: The Seven Stars

Disclaimer: I don't have any rights to Fushigi Yugi, but I'm using some characters anyway, because I think this is fun. But don't any of you corporate types who do own rights worry your little heads. I'm not making any money off this, nor do I intend to.

Warnings: This part rated PG. Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes: Okay, here starts the second half of "Suzaku's Orakuru". I have completed Suzaku's Orakuru, and begun work on "Oracle's Destiny". Posting will be irregular because as I write the chapters of "Oracle's Destiny", I find myself having to constantly refer back to chapters in "Suzaku's Orakuru" and I often end up editing and altering things to make the story run smoothly. At this point, I'm more worried about quality and continuity than speed. Thank-you for reading! ~Sapphire

"Oracles of the Four Gods"

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Sixteen ~ The Seven Stars

Aneko was quickly going out of her mind. She couldn't concentrate on anything, not that there was a whole lot to concentrate _on_. After the first hour spent there, her room held little interest. After the second day, she was ready to paint the walls in neon colors just to give herself something to do. It was maddening. When Chichiri and Tasuki came to sit with her for lunch, she decided she'd tell them what's what and get herself released from her temporary prison.

"I'm not a child," Aneko said putting her foot down, quite literally, by stomping it on the floor. "I know what I am and am not capable of. I don't need to spend any more time in this insipid little room."

"Okaaay," Tasuki said, regarding her with caution. "Whatever ya say, Kid." He'd taken to calling her 'Kid' lately. It irritated her beyond measure.

"Stop calling me 'Kid'!" she exclaimed angrily. "I'm older than you are!" Tasuki only shrugged. She glowered at him a moment, then turned on Chichiri. "And you," she said. "I don't want to hear another word about my 'resting' again. I've 'rested' about all I'm going to." The monk had the audacity to open his mouth and say the word 'but'. "Aiiiyyyyaaahhh!" Aneko punctuated her frustration by flinging a pillow cushion at his head. "Out! Out of my room right now!" She pointed the way to the door. Both Seishi hurried towards it. They had barely passed through when Aneko slammed it shut behind them.

Tasuki looked at Chichiri. The monk was just as surprised by Aneko's outburst as he was. He didn't exactly blame her. She _had_ been cooped up in that room for two days straight. He'd have broken out long before. A muffled stream of muttering came floating down to them through the open windows above their heads. The only things Tasuki could definitely pick out were 'annoying bandit' and 'mothering monk' and a few random colorful words that usually came out of _his_ mouth. He shook his head and mumbled "Damned women, nothin' but trouble," under his breath.

He wasn't sure if he was supposed to wait there until Aneko decided to speak to the two of them again, or if he was supposed to high-tail it out of there. He'd rather not stick around if it meant being verbally abused. True she'd never given them a tongue lashing before, but then, she'd never had cause. On the other hand, if he did leave and she expected him to wait around, then he'd be sure to get the very treatment he feared the next time he saw her. That is, if she were like other women he'd known. Chichiri didn't look like he was going soon, so Tasuki decided he'd stick around. At least if she was going to give them a little verbal abuse, he wouldn't have to suffer it alone. The door swung open, and Aneko stepped out fully dressed and with a smile on her face.

"Ah, fresh air and sunshine," she said congenially.

"Where the hell did that come from?" Tasuki asked Chichiri in a whisper so Aneko wouldn't hear. The monk only shrugged.

"Do either of you want to take a walk with me in the gardens? You're both welcome to come if you like," she offered.

"Why not?" Tasuki shrugged. He was curious. Usually women went from saccharine sweet to raging volcano, not the other way around. She intrigued him. Chichiri nodded in answer to his question, and the three fell in step as they descended the stairs down to the gardens.

"I've been doing a lot of thinking these past two days," Aneko started to say.

"_As if ya had somethin' better ta do_," Tasuki thought to himself. He remembered all too well what it was like to be laid up.

"And I have a lot of questions I need to ask both of you."

"Like what?" Chichiri queried, glad he didn't have to goad someone into something for a change. Suzaku had told them to teach Aneko. He could only assume Suzaku meant telling her about the legends, and he suspected the answers she sought would be related in some way.

"For starters, what exactly is Suzaku? I gather Suzaku is a god, but other than that..."

"Suzaku is the beast god of the Southern Cardinal Point," Chichiri began, a thoughtful expression on his face as he decided upon the best way to explain it. "Suzaku controls the seven celestial constellations of the southern region, known as The Suzaku."

"Clever name," Aneko said flatly. "Go on." Chichiri gave her a rueful glance, then picked up from where he'd been interrupted.

"Each star constellation is the identity of one of Suzaku's chosen, the Shichiseishi or Celestial Warriors," Chichiri explained.

"Ah," Aneko said knowingly. "Tasuki is a Constellation, and you, Chichiri, are another."

"You heard this before?" Tasuki accused. Aneko shrugged.

"Miaka was, or is, Suzaku no Miko, right?" she asked instead. Chichiri nodded. "Suzaku mentioned her, I remember." Chichiri noted she was deep in thought about something, but decided not to press her about it just then. If it were important it would come up again another time. He went back to his explanation of Suzaku and the Seishi.

"The other constellations are Tamahome-"

"Hotohori, Nuriko, Mitsukake, and Chiriko," Aneko interrupted. "Is that right?" Chichiri stared at her, open mouthed, and he saw that Tasuki's expression mimicked his own.

"How'd you know _that_?" Tasuki breathed. Aneko frowned.

"I just- _knew_." She shrugged. Chichiri didn't know what to make of this.

"What else do you know?" Chichiri wondered.

"I'm not sure. Just- tell me some more about the Shichiseishi and Suzaku no Miko." Chichiri didn't really understand what was going on, but he got the impression he was going to find out, and soon. He nodded and continued.

"There are four protective beast gods. Suzaku is the guardian of the south," he started, then stopped to see what she would do with that information. For a moment there was silence, then Aneko looked up at him, and then at Tasuki.

"The god of the East is Seiryu, the god of the West is Byakko, and the god of the North is Genbu," she told them, stunned surprise shining in her blue eyes. "Chichiri, how did I know that?" Chichiri could only shake his head. "Miaka!" she suddenly exclaimed, startling the monk and bandit alike, "Suzaku no Miko. She came here from another world..._my_ world. She found Tamahome, and he saved her from slavers- just like you saved me." Chichiri stared at her.

"_How could she know that_?" he asked himself. By the look on Tasuki's face, he was thinking the same thing.

"Then they found Hotohori. He's the one who told her she was Suzaku no Miko. Nuriko was here at the palace as well. He saved both Miaka and Tamahome. Chichiri, you saved Miaka from assassins...and Tasuki, she found you on a mountain. Am I right?" Chichiri could only nod mutely, which was more than Tasuki seemed capable of. "It's just like my dream..."

"Dream, no da?" Chichiri asked.

"You mean like a vision?" Tasuki wondered.

"No," Aneko shook her head. "I had a dream and I saw all of this. It was strange, though, because I think I'd heard the story before."

"Suzaku," Chichiri said, "Suzaku said he'd brought you to this world. Suzaku probably told you, and you forgot.

"Figures," Tasuki interjected with a roll of his eyes.

"Suzaku? Do you think-" Aneko stopped suddenly as images flashed in her mind. She saw buildings reduced to rubble and dust. Bodies of human souls littered streets; the young, the old, everyone and anyone. Fire burned but gave off no smoke. A town lay leveled.

"Aneko?" Chichiri asked. Her face was pale, her expression blank. Chichiri took a step closer to her.

"What the hell's wrong with her now?" Tasuki demanded, irritated. Chichiri only shrugged and shook his head. They watched her as she just stood there, rooted to one spot, unseeing and unmoving.

"Aneko?" Chichiri tried again. He looked up at Tasuki, and even he was worried. He shook the woman again. "Aneko, answer me." For a moment there was no response. Then her eyes focused and she looked at him.

"They're dead," she said.

~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: Comments? Questions? You love it? You hate it? I love to hear from you! Feel free to review! ~ Sapphire


	18. Part Seventeen: Nightmare Visions

Disclaimer: _Fushigi Yugi_ belongs to Watase, not me.

Warnings: This part rated PG-13. Overall rating of PG-13. 

Notes: Posting is taking forever these days, simply because I have other commitments that take precedence. This cannot be helped. School comes first, especially with graduation coming up in May. For now, though, here's the next chapter. Enjoy! ~Sapphire

"Oracles of the Four Gods"

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Seventeen ~ Nightmare Visions

"It was like a nightmare," Aneko whispered. "I saw a village leveled to dust, fire burning with no smoke, and so many innocent people dead-" She looked at Tasuki. "It wasn't a dream exactly. I saw it, like pictures. Like when I saw the roof fall in the garden, except there was no sound, just the pictures. Could it have been- do you think it was a vision? A premonition?" Aneko asked the two seishi.

"Who did it? Who was killing those people?" Chichiri was alarmed, by what she'd seen.

"I don't- I don't think it was people," Aneko confided. "It was far worse than that. It was like nothing I have ever seen before." Chichiri was uncertain what Aneko was talking about, but what she had seen had shaken her up considerably. He wasn't quite sure what to think. He wanted to talk it over with Tasuki, before he did anything else.

~~~~

"You think it was a vision?" Tasuki asked Chichiri. The monk only shrugged. "Any idea what she was talkin' about?" This time Chichiri shook his head. "What do ya think we should do?"

"I don't know, no da," Chichiri replied with a sigh. "Before, when she had those premonitions, she saw those events just before they happened. It might already be too late to save that village."

"No telling what fuckin' village it was anyway," Tasuki muttered. "She wouldn't know one from th' other. Couldn't give landmarks, either." Tasuki sighed. Aneko was off trying to locate some parchment and ink. She intended on writing down everything she could remember about the premonition in case it was important later on. Tasuki thought it was a futile effort. If it had been a premonition, and the events were still to come, there was almost no chance they would be able to figure out which village it would take place in.

"She said it wasn't anything she'd ever seen," Chichiri mused aloud. "What could she have seen? What could have done it, no da?"

"A demon?" Tasuki offered. "She said it wasn't people. Don't see how people could do all that. Not even the damned Kutou armies did that much damage." Tasuki admitted to himself he couldn't even imagine whole buildings being reduced to _dust_ like Aneko had described. Crumbled walls, fallen in roofs, caved in houses, maybe. But reduced to dust? He just couldn't see it. "An' that fire," Tasuki remembered. "What kind of fire doesn't have smoke?"

"Sorcery can do that, no da," Chichiri pointed out. "Just look at your halisen. A metal fan that shoots fire? That takes magic." The monk had a point. "It could have been some kind of wizard, no da."

"Ya think Nakago..." Tasuki thought. "Na," he quickly dismissed the idea. "He's dead. We know that." Chichiri nodded.

"Suzaku said something evil has come to this world," Chichiri speculated. "What Aneko saw, this evil entity could be capable of it, no da."

"Yeah, but what kind of evil?" Tasuki was getting fed up. Talking in circles like this wasn't doing any good. "There ain't a damn thing we can do. And who says it was a vision anyway? It coulda been some kind a freak nightmare." Chichiri shrugged. "Except she's seen stuff before," Tasuki tacked on with a sigh. They were getting nowhere. Chichiri nodded absently. Tasuki quirked an eyebrow at him. "I'm sick a this. I'm gonna go find Aneko. Maybe it'll be fun ta roast her for a while." Chichiri nodded again, and Tasuki sighed again. The monk was completely absorbed. Not even threatening to fry Aneko could tear him from his thoughts. Tasuki left Chichiri sitting on a bench in the gardens and headed for the pavilion housing Aneko's room.

~~~~

Chichiri and Aneko spent the next two days shut up in the Palace library with the dull palace scholars. She had an amazing knowledge of the legends and reality of _The Universe of the Four Gods_. Chichiri himself didn't know some of the things she did. It was as if she had been sitting there observing everything as it had played out. And she attributed it all to a dream and a story she'd heard before. Chichiri was certain Suzaku had done it. Oracles knew both past and present, didn't they? Of course Suzaku would tell her what she needed to know. He was positive about that when she started relating things about the demon Tenkou, and about Taka and his lost memories.

Aneko did not, however know anything about the general history of Konan and the Four Kingdoms. Two kindly scholars took on the task of instructing her in that area, throwing in some geography as well when they discovered she had no idea of the layout of Konan or it's neighbors. By mid-afternoon on the third day Aneko had had enough, and let Chichiri know it with a rather large scroll sent flying at his head. Chichiri managed to evade the airborne threat, and then heard her grumble to herself that she wouldn't have missed if he hadn't sensed it coming with his Seishi abilities. Chichiri thought it wise they both get out for a while, and suggested they take a long walk on the palace grounds.

"So, you two finally decided to call it quits, huh?" Tasuki called from the pavilion that housed his room.

"Taking a break," Aneko corrected as he fell into step beside her. "My head was starting to spin."

"Thinking too hard about Gods, Stars, and scrolls?" Tasuki joked.

"Ahhh, enough! I don't want to hear another word for the rest of the day!" Aneko vented her obvious frustration. "I just want to relax." With that, she ran ahead of them to the edge of the pond. She stopped there in the warm sunshine and removed her vest. Chichiri watched as she tossed it onto a rock, then loosened her shirt, unfastening the topmost buttons at her neck and the buttons at her wrists. She rolled up her sleeves, kicked off her shoes, then dropped down onto the lush grass and sat on the edge of the pond, with her bare feet dangling in the cool water. Chichiri heard her sigh as he and Tasuki neared. Tasuki followed her example and flopped down on the lawn nearby and stretched out lazily in the cool shade of a tall tree.

"I'm glad I thought of this, no da," Chichiri commented, as he settled himself on the edge of the water and pulled out a fishing pole, dropping a line into the water.

"Your idea!" Aneko retorted. "Who threw a scroll at you, hmm?"

"Da!" Chichiri replied in annoyance. She turned away from him with an indignant sniff.

"Tasuki, how come you're here at the palace? Chichiri said you live up on Mr. Leikaku with those bandits."

"Yeah," Tasuki agreed. "I'd be there now, except Suzaku had to butt in." He sighed.

"Last time I saw you was a year ago," Chichiri pointed out. "You could visit sometimes, no da."

"I would," Tasuki retorted, "but the Royal Runt yanks my hair, an' ya never know when a certain wandering monk'll be around."

"Hey, no da!" Chichiri exclaimed indignantly. Aneko laughed at their good natured squabble.

"Hmmm," she sighed. "It's hard to believe such a peaceful place like this could have some terrible evil in it." Chichiri had nothing to say to that. A glance at Tasuki told him the other seishi didn't either. A silence fell over them. After a while, Chichiri could hear the quiet snoring of Tasuki. He looked over and saw Aneko had pulled her feet from the pond and was curled up, asleep in the sun. He sighed, pulled in his fishing line, and leaned back for a nap, too.

~~~~

Vaguely, she was aware she was dreaming. Aneko was in that stage of sleep where one dreams the most vivid and realistic of dreams; the stage just before one wakes. It was here that she could be home in her own world, in Tokyo.

_She was sitting in a little restaurant by the window, looking out at the people passing on the street. There was no one with her, but she was happy, content to sip her soft drink and watch the people go by. Her dream-self started. The same man had walked by twice. It was impossible to mistake him, he was huge. Tall and powerfully built, he was taller than anyone else passing by, and his blond hair stuck out among the crowds. Curious, she watched carefully as people continued to move by the window. There he was again! She stood, threw some money on the table to pay the waitress, then headed for the door, intent on following the big blond man. As soon as she stepped out of the restaurant doors, she wasn't in Tokyo anymore. She was back in the Imperial Palace in Konan._

Images flashed in her head, just as she'd experienced several days earlier, only this time they depicted a situation entirely different. The palace pavilions. A long corridor with double doors at the end. An ornate room. The blond man standing over the crumpled form of a dead child, a bloodied dagger in his hand.

~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: I have a break coming up, so hopefully I can get some more work done on "Oracle's Destiny" and get more chapters of "Suzaku's Orakuru" up for you to read. ~Sapphire


	19. Part Eighteen: Burdened Bandit

Disclaimer: I'm lazy, so I'm just going to refer you to the prologue to read the blanket disclaimer, if you're so inclined.

Warnings: This part rated PG-13. This _is_ Mt. Leikaku. Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes: Here we are, back on the bandit mountain with our good friend Kouji. It's been a while since I last posted, and even longer since we checked in with our favorite scarred bandit.

Oracles of the Four Gods

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Eighteen ~ Burdened Bandit

The hideout was starting to take on it's old look again. Kouji surveyed the place with a certain amount of satisfaction. They'd managed to rebuild the destroyed sections of the outer wall, and were currently reinforcing the entire thing with trussed up beams. A new gate was nearly finished, and would soon be ready to put up at the compound entrance. Tohru had just returned with his men and enough food and supplies to last them a good while. A semi-permanent camp had been established, and the men were starting to feel at home in it. An outbuilding with a fireplace that had survived the earthquake had been converted into a camp kitchen, and all the new food supplies were put into storage there. The men they'd lost were properly buried, and those that had been injured were recovering quickly. All in all things were beginning to fall into place again.

"Horses down in the pass," the lookout called suddenly from atop the wall above the missing gate. Kouji made his way over to take a look for himself.

"Full report," he demanded as he climbed up the ladder to the catwalk along the wall.

"Six horses. Looks ta be only five men. Could be ours," the bandit reported.

"Looks like it," Kouji agreed, looking down the mountainside at the figures making their way up from the pass. "No chances, though." He turned toward the camp. "I want everyone armed and ready fer a fight in one minute!" he shouted. "We're on alert." Those working below scrambled. Kouji was impressed how quickly they were able to accomplish his orders and take up positions of necessary defense. Genrou would be pleased with the measures he'd been taking. They were a far cry from an army, but they could work like one to defend their own ground.

"Oy! Red Wolf!" came the secret call from the path. Kouji relaxed. It was the returning raiding party. Kouji slipped through the gateless entrance and into the forested hills that lined the narrow trail. He slipped silently along the needle-carpeted ground as he made his way toward the approaching men. He hadn't been kidding when he said they would take no chances. Even with the correct signal, it could still be an attack. Spying the horses and men through the trees, he saw nothing amiss. It was Kaneto and his raiding party, complete and intact with no additions, save a load of loot.

"Kaneto!" Kouji scrambled out of the woods. "How'd it go?" Kaneto started, nearly falling from the back of his horse.

"Shit! Where'd you fuckin' come from?" he demanded gruffly. Kouji grinned. He'd caught him off guard.

"From the fuckin' woods," Kouji replied. "So, how'd it go?"

"We got a good haul," Kaneto replied, a glint of satisfaction in his eyes. "Didn't go so smooth, but we got what we was after."

"Whaddaya mean by that?" Kouji demanded.

"Ask me again sometime, huh?"

"Oh?"

"Later, ya know?" Kaneto gave him an intense stare.

"Oh," Kouji said, understanding. They'd discuss it with Tohru. "Right." Kouji swung up on the sixth horse, the one that carried the loot, and they hurried on to the hideout compound.

"The wall's almost done," Kaneto commented appreciatively as they rode through the gateless entrance. "You've been busy."

"The gate'll be ready tomorrow," Kouji informed him as his eyes scanned the crowd of men arround them. "Tohru," he called out, eyeing the cook. "We got loot ta split up." The cook nodded and joined him and Kaneto at a makeshift table where they dumped the sacks of coin. This task was often performed in plain view of everyone so none could claim being cheated. This time was no exception. All the coins were removed from the sacks and divided into stacks totaling ten ryo. Those were grouped into tens as well, especially when the loot was as bountiful as this.

"That's some loot," one of the men called out as the last piles were placed in a row.

"And yer only gettin' the usual cut," Kouji remarked. "If we want a roof over our heads come winter, we need all this an' more." He scanned the men gathered around. "Anyone who don't like it, ya get yer final pay and ya leave the Leikaku Bandits." No one moved. "All right. Come get yer shares."

~~~~~

At dusk Kaneto and Tohru were waiting in the mausoleum for Kouji. The second in command of the Leikaku bandits slipped inside just a few moments after the sun had set. Kouji turned to Kaneto.

"It's later. What'd ya mean the raid didn't go smooth?" Kouji demanded.

"Lord Shou sure made a nice profit over in Kutou," Kaneto began. "Bags a money."

"So?" Kouji demanded.

"We didn't get it all."

"Why not?" Tohru demanded. "Ya know we coulda used it."

"Couldn't. This weird guy showed up. Said he wasn't gonna let us take off with everythin' old Lord Shou had."

"Chichiri-?" Kouji wondered. "_That damn monk, always interfereing_..."

"Nah," Kaneto shook his head. "Wasn't him. Some other guy, with blue-green hair. Coulda swore I saw a blue glow on his forehead. Some kind a mark there, that's fer sure."

"Nakago!" Kouji nearly fell over in surprise. "But Nakago's dead!"

"He wasn't Nakago. Nakago was blond, right?" Kouji nodded slowly, recovering. "Don't know who he was. But that blue glow...we took what we had an' got out a there." 

"Shit," Kouji cursed. "Genrou ought ta know 'bout that. An he's in Eiyou..."

"That ain't all," Kaneto added. Kouji started. Did the surprises never end? He hoped this wasn't bad news this time. "We saw them mercs down in the valley. The ones who wrecked the hideout an' all."

"Fuck," Kouji and Tohru both said.

"Think they're on their way up here?" Tohru asked. Kaneto shook his head.

"Nope. Didn't look like it, anyway," he said. "They was all spread out in camp. They looked like an army down there."

"This ain't good," Kouji muttered. "Even if they ain't headed up the mountain, this ain't good."

"Whatre we gonna do?" Tohru asked.

"We're gonna get that damned gate up first, that's what we're gonna do," Kouji said. "Extra men on watch, 'specially at night." He started at the floor, wishing Genrou was there. He hated making these kinds of decisions. That's why Genrou was boss, and he was just second in command. "_Gone for fucking months_," Kouji's thoughts practically hissed in disgust. As far as he was concerned, if Genrou wanted to keep the bandits, he'd better get back, and soon. "I think we should send out a spy, while we're at it." Kaneto and Tohru nodded. "Any suggestions who oughtta go?"

~~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: I've just completed a fresh edit of the entire story. It had been so long since I really worked on this, I needed to read it all over anyway. I've uploaded all the previously posted chapters in their new forms. I didn't make any huge changes, so if you don't want to reread, you don't have to. You can just pick up wherever you left off. ~Sapphire


	20. Part Nineteen: Nightmare Reality

Disclaimer: Fushigi Yugi

Doesn't belong to me.

Please don't sue me,

Leave this poor student be.

Warnings: This part rated PG-13 for violence. Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes: How do you like that? I'm a poet, too! Okay, my faithful readers, and I know there are a few of you out there… I have been hard at work writing. I have enough material for about twenty chapters in "Oracle's Destiny", though it will all need a lot of editing before it's ready for posting. Reguardless, Oracles of the Four Gods is shaping up nicely, you'll be glad to know. To reward your patience with me, I've decided to post not one, but TWO chapters of "Suzaku's Orakuru". Thank-you, thank-you. ~Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Nineteen ~ Nightmare Reality

Aneko woke with a start. It had happened again. She'd had a premontion. At least, she was quite certain it was a premonition. She looked around, but both Tasuki and Chichiri were nowhere to be seen. She wished she knew where they were. Unlike the premonition of the village, she knew where this one would occur. Right in the Imperial Palace. It was only a matter of finding the right room. There was a chance it wasn't a premonition, but she wasn't going to chance it. Someone's life was at stake. Quickly getting to her feet, slipping on her shoes, Aneko headed for the palace buildings.

She hurried across the park to the palace courtyards and hastily made her way through, pushed on by the growing fear inside her. As she turned a corner, she recognized the pavilion before her as the one from the premonition. Aneko ran inside with a shiver, and wound her way through the corridors. A set of double doors at the far end of a side corridor looked familiar, though she knew she'd never been in this part of the palace before. This had to be the place from her premonition. She noticed the door had been left slightly ajar as she cautiously approached. 

"_Odd_," she thought, "_the doors in this place are always shut, no matter if the rooms are empty or occupied_." Hurrying over, she peered inside. A massive, hulking man with blond hair, dressed in a dark cloak, was standing over a small, frightened child. Glinting in the light streaming through a window was a sharp, jagged, deadly looking dagger in his hand. The man suddenly raised the dagger, prepared to strike at the child.

"No!" Aneko shouted as she threw the doors wide open and lunged at the man, latching her right hand onto the thick wrist that held the weapon. The man turned on her and shook her loose, sending her roughly back into the wall to his side. Aneko hit hard and fell to the floor, stunned by the impact. She watched as the man turned on the child. With fierce determination, Aneko rose and threw herself upon the man again, thwarting him, at least for the moment.

With a grunt, the man grabbed Aneko's shoulder and plucked her off of him like a bug. He glared at her through two slits for eyes. His stare frightened Aneko more than any dagger could. Suddenly, a yellowish glow surrounded the blonde giant. Without warning, a rope of strange yellow energy lashed out at her, winding around her, encircling her body. With a flick of his eyes, the man was able to control the energy holding her captive, and she could feel it tighten around her. The glowing bands began to constrict her chest, making it hard to breathe. Tighter and tighter, the energy was slowly crushing her. Aneko watched helplessly as the man turned toward the child once again.

"No!" Aneko managed to call out with a gasping breath. "I can't let you kill that boy!" With those words, Aneko felt the familiar comforting warmth of Suzaku's presence begin to surround her. She welcomed it readily, remembering the last time she'd encountered Suzaku. Accompanying the strange light this time was a tingling of the skin on the upper left side of her chest. It was impossible to miss a bright glow coming through the fabric of her white blouse at that exact place. Aneko wondered at it briefly until an amazing strength suddenly filled her, and she felt a power unlike any she had felt before. She was strong, so much stronger than she had ever been. With a yell, Aneko broke free of the constrictive bands of yellow energy. Focusing on the child, she ran toward him following the perimeter of the room.

She barely noticed two bright flashes out of the corner of her eye before she felt her body wracked with pain. Her blue eyes darted to the man and saw two more flashes flying at her from the man's hand. They felt like high voltage electricity as one hit her in the shoulder, and the other caught her side. She fell to the floor, stunned.

The man, determined to carry through with his deadly intentions, turned from her. The boy whimpered pitifully in fear. The sound cut to Aneko's heart. He was just a child. She wouldn't allow herself to give up and resolved she would save him, even if she died trying. She forced her body to rise up, depending on the alien strength that had taken over her body to make herself move. It was as if she were another person entirely as she stepped forward toward the giant man.

"Get away from that boy," Aneko demanded forcefully. She took another step closer. The massive brute spun, facing her with glaring rage. "I said, get away from him." She took another step toward him. The man's eyes glowed yellow, his face was twisted and distorted, appearing inhuman. He stood his ground, obviously not seeing her as a worthy threat.

"_A dangerous mistake to make_," the thought, not her own, flitted across her mind as she took another step. A flash was sent flying at her. Her body dodged out of the way as if it moved under a force not her own. Blood pounding in her ears, she felt herself lunge at the man, grabbing hold of the dagger's handle, and wrenching it from the mammoth hand. Her adversary turned, trying to throw her off, but she clung tight. With a swift motion, she raised the dagger above him and forced the blade downward, sinking it into his thick neck. A surge of power shot through the blade, searing up Aneko's arm and throwing her backward with the intensity of the jolt.

Lying flat on her back on the floor, she turned her head weakly and opened her eyes. The small boy was huddled along the wall beside her, looking pleadingly to her for help. She wasn't beaten, not yet. Aneko shakily stood and placed herself between the boy and the monster intent on murder. The boy clung to her leg, keeping himself hidden behind her. Somehow, Aneko found strength in the child's dependence upon her, and she stood watching as the man slowly raised both his hands and held them out before him. A wide swath of the yellow electricity shot toward Aneko. She crossed her arms in front of her defensively just as she was hit by the blast. The force of it pushed her backward, though she tried to hold her ground, until she was up against the solid stone wall. The intensity of the steady current held her there and the boy, still clinging to her, was trapped by her own body. The yellow glint of the assassin's eyes told her they were both about to die.

"Nooo!" Aneko shouted as she felt the electricity build in intensity to deadly proportions. "Help! Someone!"

"Aneko!" Out of nowhere Tasuki and Chichiri burst through a second set of doors leading from the pavilion's courtyard. The bright light of day silhouetted the dark shadows of their forms.

"Tasuki! Chichiri! Help me!" Aneko begged. Time was running out.

~~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: As always, feel free to comment and review! I love hearing from you! ~Sapphire


	21. Part Twenty: Demon

Disclaimer: Fushigi Yugi

Belongs to Yu Watase

And a corporate posse.

Warnings: This part rated PG-13 for violence. Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes: I'm still a poet! Now for that second chapter I promised you…

Oracles of the Four Gods

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Twenty ~ Demon

"Hold on, Aneko!" Tasuki shouted. He pulled his halisen from it's scabbard, the character for 'wing' glowing red on his forearm. "Lekkaaa Shiennn!" The searing column of flames hit Aneko's tormentor square in the back.

The large current of electricity pinning Aneko against the wall slackened as her captor took the hit. Sensing a chance at escape, Aneko drew upon the foreign strength and broke free of her bonds, shattering the electric current like glass as she threw her arms wide. Physically spent, she slumped to the floor. But it wasn't over yet, she knew, as she watched the brutish man's human form burn away, leaving only the glowing form of pure energy behind. Instantly, with a last surge of strength she'd had hidden somewhere within her own self, Aneko reached for the boy and held him protectively in her arms, shielding him from the creature trying to destroy them. Closing her eyes tight, she held on and trusted the rest to the shichiseishi.

"Chichiri! What is that?!" Tasuki exclaimed, realizing his power had done nothing to incapacitate the enemy.

"It's a demon!" Chichiri shouted back, "A demon of an unusual order, no da!" Suddenly the monster turned on them, flinging blasts of energy in rapid succession. Tasuki dove to avoid them, but there were too many to escape them all. "Ow, that hurts, no da!" Tasuki saw Chichiri was taking a beating much like the one he was receiving. As the barrage ceased, Tasuki scrambled to his feet and faced the demon again. Chichiri wasn't far behind.

"What do we do?" Tasuki asked, wracking his brain for ideas.

"I don't think either of us can beat it on our own," Chichiri speculated. "We have to hit it together."

"We'll hurt Aneko if we try it from here," Tasuki pointed out, noting Aneko was in the direct line of fire if the monster should dodge. Chichiri opened his mouth to respond, but was cut short as more blasts shot out at them, the demon resuming his attack. Tasuki felt himself sent flying backwards, right out the door into the courtyard. He landed with a jarring jolt. He heard the dull thwack as Chichiri landed next to him. Tasuki dragged himself to his knees and looked to the monk.

"I'll take care of Aneko," Chichiri told him, peeling himself off the ground, "You keep the demon busy a minute, no da!" Tasuki nodded, the glint of battle in his eyes, and charged back into the pavilion chamber.

"Lekka Shiennn!" he shouted, sending another blast of fire at the demon. The demon turned and flung more of the yellow energy his way as he dove into a roll, ducking out of the way. Coming out of his roll, Tasuki glanced at the other side of the room where Aneko sat curled up against the wall. Chichiri suddenly materialized and placed himself between her and the demon, then signaled to Tasuki.

"Let's take care of this thing, no da."

"You got it," Tasuki shouted, jumping to his feet. Chichiri's shakujo lowered as it was aimed directly at the demon. With careful control, the monk sent a powerful blast of life force energy through the staff, letting the shakujo amplify it.

"Lekkaaa Shien!" Tasuki shouted his incantation, sending the power of his fire to aid Chichiri's attack. With a screaming hiss the demon burst apart before his eyes, pieces scattering about the chamber. They glowed for a few moments, then one by one blinked out and disappeared. "We did it," Tasuki breathed with relief , lowering the halisen to his side. He stood catching his breath before he joined Chichiri where Aneko was still huddled against the wall. Chichiri looked up from the woman, glancing at Tasuki with a questioning expression. Tasuki shrugged. He didn't know what was wrong with her. The monk lowered himself to his knees and put a gentle, reassuring hand on the woman's shoulder.

"It's okay now. Its gone," Chichiri told Aneko softly. Cautiously she turned toward him, slowly revealing the boy she protected in her arms. "Prince Boushin!" Chichiri gasped in surprise. "I had no idea, no da!" Tasuki felt just as stunned. He'd thought Aneko was the target of the attack. Never would he have suspected she'd been protecting someone else. Chichiri slowly rose, helping Aneko up at the same time. Leaning against the wall for extra support, Aneko loosened her hold on the boy, and he timidly peeped out through one eye as he turned his head from where he'd buried it in her shoulder.

"Chiri!" cried the three-year-old frightened Prince, seeing his beloved wandering monk. He struggled from Aneko's grasp and transferred himself over to the familiar man's arms.

"Hey, look," Tasuki gasped, pointing at Aneko. As the Prince had moved away from her, he'd uncovered the glowing character on the upper left side of her chest. Tasuki wondered how many more surprises she had up her sleeve. "No possible way."

"Nuriko, no da," Chichiri breathed.

"Willow," Aneko said, looking down, reading the character. "It's the mark of a celestial warrior." Tasuki thought she seemed confused. As confused as he was. That woman was Suzaku no Orakuru, not a Suzaku Seishi. Suddenly the character's glow flickered and faded. All her remaining strength visibly drained away as if it were water running off her body. In a moment it was gone, as though evaporated. Tasuki saw her waver, unable to support her own weight any longer, gravity pulling her downward.

"Whoa!" Tasuki exclaimed as she started to fall. "Gottcha!" He easily reached out and caught her, sweeping her up in his arms. She looked up at him with big, watery eyes.

"Thank-you," she uttered, then passed out cold.

~~~~~

Chichiri dozed fitfully in a chair in Aneko's darkened bedchamber. After the attack, he was wary to leave Aneko without a guard. He'd placed himself at her side and intended to stay there. The appearance of the demon had the whole palace uneasy, and no one could ignore the fact that Prince Boushin had been the target. Tasuki was guarding the young Prince and Empress Houki. Chichiri wasn't worried about them at the moment. They were in capable hands. What worried Chichiri was how a demon of that order had been called. Demons didn't just come and go as they please, they had to be summoned. Chichiri knew that only a very powerful sorcerer could have called that monster. Who had that kind of power, he didn't know. He himself could never hope to call fourth a demon of that magnitude, though he was quite a powerful sorcerer.

It was quite possible the demon was sent by the evil entity Suzaku had told them existed. If that was so, they could expect more trouble. Aneko had said something not human had been responsible for the massive destruction and smokeless fire that had burned in her vision. Whatever had the power to destroy that village could very easily have called the demon. Then again, it was possible they were dealing with two separate incidents. It was food for further thought.

"Chichiri?" the sound of his name roused him instantly. He saw Aneko watching him, tears glistening in her eyes.

"What is it, no da?" he replied, leaning forward in his chair.

"Chichiri, I- I can't move. I tried, but I can't move my arms or legs. I'm so scared..." she broke down sobbing. Chichiri moved from the chair and took a seat on the edge of the bed. He carefully took her in his arms to comfort her. Being moved was obviously painful for her, and she whimpered pitifully, but she didn't protest against his holding her. As Chichiri settled her against him, the physical hurts seemed to ebb and her sobs slowly quieted.

"It'll be alright, no da," Chichiri said soothingly. "I promise."

~~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: There you have it. My latest posting. More forthcoming in a few weeks or so. ~ Sapphire


	22. Part Twentyone: Mystical Mountain

Disclaimer: Fushigi Yugi does not belong to me. Imagine that.

Warnings: This part rated PG. Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes: I'm stuck. I'm writing part two for "Oracles of the Four Gods" and I am so blocked I don't think the clouds will ever lift. I know where I want to go with the story, I know where it has to go, but the telling of it takes up too many pages. Ack. I'll figure it out. Never fear. Until then, here's a new chapter. ~Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Twenty-One ~ Mystical Mountain

The courtyard was serene and quiet. A faint breeze ruffled his hair and kesa. With it came the scent of the evening dew. The sky was tinged pink at the western horizon, and it was a deep velvet in the east. A few fireflies flitted about in some shrubbery nearby, and there was a bubbling sound of a fountain on the other side of the open courtyard. Chichiri meditated as he waited.

"You're late, no da," he announced, detecting Tasuki's presence before the bandit could announce himself.

"Couldn't be helped," Tasuki complained, "Empress Houki kept makin' up reasons fer me ta stick around. I couldn't get away 'til she ran out of ideas." Chichiri had to smile at that. It sounded like the Empress all right. "So why'd ya drag me all the way out here," Tasuki asked.

"Aneko," Chichiri answered vaguely.

"Did she wake up?" Tasuki asked.

"I'm worried, no da," Chichiri admitted to him. "She woke up, but she can't move. She's in a lot of pain, too."

"Is she gonna be okay?" Tasuki wasn't sure where this conversation was going, but the monk had that effect on him sometimes; talking in circles with no apparent purpose.

"You saw the character on her chest, no da," Chichiri went on. Now Tasuki was really lost. He didn't really see what that had to do with anything. "It was just like before, when I saw the ogre symbol on her forehead."

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot about that..." Tasuki remarked, a light going on in his head. "So what is she, some kind a Tamariko monster? Both of them reborn into one? And wouldn't that mean Taka is- dead?" A worried expression fitted itself over his face. "Poor Miaka..."

"No," Chichiri sighed in exasperation. "I don't think Taka is dead."

"Then how can he be reborn-" Tasuki was cut off by a knock to the head. Chichiri didn't like physical force, but with Tasuki, sometimes it was necessary to get him back on the right track.

"Suzaku no Orakuru is not any of the Suzaku warriors reborn," Chichiri explained patiently, "but she used Tamahome's and Nuriko's power."

"Like she stole it?" Tasuki was incredulous. Chichiri shook his head with a sigh. "You think Suzaku gave 'em to her?"

"Da," Chichiri affirmed.

"So, what's it mean?" Tasuki wondered. "Why the hell did ya have ta go an' drag me all the way out here just to tell me that?"

"I wanted to ask something," Chichiri replied slowly. "I didn't want to be overheard." Tasuki waited, rather impatiently, until Chichiri decided to reveal the true reason for this strange meeting. "Do you trust Aneko?" Tasuki hadn't expected that. He could see why Chichiri didn't want to be overheard. Despite any answer either of them might give, if anyone should overhear them simply questioning Suzaku no Orakuru, well, it wouldn't bode well for them, Aneko, the Empress, or Konan.

"Well, yeah. Suzaku said she was Orakuru. Don't you trust her?"

"Of course," Chichiri said. "And you'll protect her with your life?"

"I don't wanna wind up dead, but Suzaku said to protect her like I'd protect Miaka." Tasuki paused a moment. "Why?"

"I've got a feeling," Chichiri said. "Aneko is more important to us, more important to our whole world, than any of the priestesses ever were."

"Your damned funny feelings are usually right," Tasuki had to admit.

"I think we should take Aneko to Mt. Daikyoku, to see Taiitsukun."

"How's that gonna help?" Tasuki asked.

"You'd think with Suzaku bringing someone here from another world Taiitsukun would have gotten involved by now," Chichiri thought aloud. Tasuki nodded with a grim expression.

"The old bag always sticks her big nose in," he agreed.

"She can't possibly _not_ know Aneko is here, no da. Maybe it's about time we paid her a visit, and we'll bring Aneko along." Chichiri was quite sure Taiitsukun was involved in this somehow. The keeper of this world's balance had something to do with this business, and he suddenly wanted to know what.

"We'll go see the old hag," Tasuki agreed.

"We'll leave in the morning. Let's go and get some rest."

~~~~~

By the time the sun had risen above the treetops, Tasuki and Chichiri were ready to leave the palace for Mt. Daikyoku. Empress Houki watched them as they made final preparations. She'd been asked to see them off in Aneko's room, where they would be departing via teleportation and Chichiri's kesa. Houki stood beside Aneko who was still in her bed, where she would remain until the very moment the two seishi were ready to leave. Chichiri had made it quite clear she wasn't to be moved any more than absolutely necessary, it caused her so much pain. Empress Houki agreed. Of course, where the young woman's welfare was concerned, she wanted nothing but the best. Aneko had saved her son, after all, and Houki was grateful beyond words.

"Are you quite sure you're up to traveling?" the Empress asked Aneko as she carefully adjusted the sleeping robe the young woman wore.

"No," Aneko admitted honestly, "but Chichiri says this Taiitsukun will be able to help me."

"Taiitsukun is very mysterious, but very powerful. We have no doubts she will be able to do just that." Houki wasn't saying that just for assurance's sake.

"Is something bothering you, Your Highness?" Aneko asked. Houki started.

"Me? Why do you ask?" She wasn't prepared for that question. She wondered what Aneko had seen that had prompted it.

"You seem nervous, or afraid," Aneko replied. "I was just worried." The Empress laughed softly.

"It is I that should be worried about you," she told Aneko, slipping out of her formal persona.

"Is something wrong, no da?" Chichiri asked, stepping into the conversation.

"No-" Houki began, then cut herself off. "There is one thing," she changed her mind. "What about Boushin and I? Who will be here to protect us against monsters and demons? We cannot be sure there is no danger of another attack...I worry over Boushin." Her son had nearly died. If he had, what would have happened to her? To Konan? She did not think herself silly to hold such a fear.

"I've already thought of that, no da," Chichiri answered reassuringly. He handed her a hand mirror. "If there is any danger, you can contact us through this. Tasuki and I will come right away, no da." The Empress took the hand mirror and clutched it to her breast protectively. She nodded.

"Go, do not delay any longer. The sooner you leave, the sooner you will be able to return," she said. She backed away toward the door. Chichiri spread out his kesa on the floor and placed the two traveling packs onto it.

"Sorry, Aneko, but this is gonna hurt," Tasuki said as he bent to pick the woman up. Aneko nodded ever so slightly and closed her eyes tight against the pain she knew was coming. Houki watched as Tasuki lifted her up as carefully as he could, then joined Chichiri on the robe in the middle of the floor. "Okay, go ahead and pop us over there," Tasuki said. Chichiri nodded, planting his staff in the center of the kesa, concentrating deeply on their destination.

"I hope you recover quickly," the Empress called to Aneko. "Safe journey." Aneko didn't reply, the pain written so plainly on her face was reason enough to excuse her for it. Tasuki nodded to her, answering for all of them, that they would be back soon. Empress Houki watched as they were slowly swallowed by the void that had been opened in the floor. She stayed there, long after they were gone, staring at the place they had been. Eventually she looked at the mirror she held clasped in her hands. It would be all right, she knew. She had nothing to fear as long as she kept the mirror close to her.

~~~~~

"So you finally seek my help, do you?" a gruff voice greeted them as Chichiri, Tasuki, and Aneko materialized in the palace atop the mystical Mt. Daikyoku. "It's about time you brought her here." The ancient one called Taiitsukun floated toward them, inspecting the trio carefully. "Nyan-Nyan!" she barked impatiently. Her summons was answered by popping noises as the little Nyan-Nyan's surrounded her.

"Yes Taiitsukun?"

"You need our help?"

"We can help Taiitsukun."

"We can heal Taiitsukun's face."

"Silent!" the mystical one shouted, sending several of the bubbly little Nyan-Nyans flying. The others 'ooh'ed and 'ahh'ed, settling down and quieting. The young woman in Tasuki's arms stared at her through wide, frightened eyes. "Now, take Lady Aneko and treat her. She is in very much pain and could use some soothing."

"Right away Taiitsukun!"

"We'll help! We'll help!" the Nyan-Nyans converged on Tasuki, much to his apparent dismay, and took the young woman right out of his arms. In a glowing pink bubble, she floated before him and Chichiri, then disappeared in a pop of light.

"Now, for the two of you," Taiitsukun said, turning to the Suzaku Warriors. "How you found out, I don't know. But what you have done is irreversible."

~~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: Don't let Taiitsukun throw you off. She can be a meanie, but her intentions are in the right place. ~Sapphire


	23. Part Twentytwo: Lost Memories

Disclaimer: I'm just going to direct you to the blanket disclaimer accompanying the prologue to "Suzaku's Orakuru."

Warnings: This part rated PG-13 for language. Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes: I'm still wrestling with the length of "Oracle's Destiny" which is the next installment in Oracles of the Four Gods. It's looking as though some of the events I intended for the middle installment are going to have to wait until the third, and last, installment. That isn't sitting well with me, considering I had other things planned for those pages. I made enough progress, however, to make me comfortable in posting another chapter for all you dedicated readers. ~Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Twenty-Two ~ Lost Memories

"The oracle is not meant to have contact with the Shichiseishi until after they understand their purpose in this world," Taiitsukun accused. Tasuki and Chichiri exchanged a glance under her angry gaze.

"Whaddaya mean?" Tasuki blurted out confused. "Suzaku told us ta protect her like we protected the Miko. How're we supposed ta do that if we shouldn't have met her yet?" Taiitsukun sighed in resignation, to the shock of both Chichiri and Tasuki.

"Taiitsukun?" Chichiri asked tentatively. Taiitsukun could see the uncertainty in his expression. He, of all people, knew her best. And in all that time, Taiitsukun had never once represented herself as anything other than grouchy and completely sure of herself. She was getting old, she thought, and for once, she felt as though she had too much on her plate.

"Do not trouble yourselves over all of this. I know Suzaku was the one to interfere and cause all this mayhem." She looked between the two seishi. "My accusations were to confirm what I already know."

"Dammit, you old-" Tasuki was silenced with a swift swat to his head with his own weapon. Taiitsukun always did get a kick out of being able to do that to the cocky bandit. It put her in a slightly better mood.

"Not only did Suzaku interfere with Lady Aneko's arrival in this world, but he also interfered with my ability to communicate with Suzaku no Orakuru and the both of you. I'm relieved that you finally found it appropriate to come to me," the last had a bite to it, and Taiitsukun didn't care. She wanted to make it quite clear she was unhappy with both Chichiri and Tasuki.

"Taiitsukun, do you know what's going on, no da?" Chichiri asked. "Do you know why Aneko came to this world?"

"Yes, I do. That isn't the most pressing of matters. Her arrival is not out of the ordinary, in the grand scheme of things. There is something far more dangerous revealing itself."

"The great evil, the one Suzaku warned us about," Chichiri replied with a nod.

"Precisely," Taiitsukun agreed. "What exactly did Suzaku tell you? I am aware he spoke of this evil, but the old bird brain wouldn't let me hear word for word what he said." Taiitsukun was still angry over that. She whole-heartedly believed that the Phoenix God had no right to tamper with her mirrors the way he had.

"Suzaku told us there was some kind of evil," Tasuki answered. "Didn't say what, though. He was fuckin' vague." Chichiri nodded.

"It figures," Taiitsukun grouched at them. "I was hoping for solid information to pass onto the other oracles."

"Others?" Tasuki raised an eyebrow. "There're more people like Aneko?"

"Precisely," Taiitsukun admonished. "Lady Aneko is Suzaku no Orakuru. There are also the oracles of Genbu, Byakko, and Seiryu who have come to this world."

"All of them? At once?" Chichiri exclaimed in disbelief.

"Unlike the Priestesses, the oracles can only obtain their full power if all four appear in this world around the same time and work as a unit. Aneko was the last to arrive," Taiitsukun told them. "Usually when an oracle appears, he or she instinctively seeks Mt. Daikyoku." That was how it was written in The Universe of the Four Gods, the scroll that was passed on to her by her predecessor, who had gotten it from her predecessor, all the way back to the time the scroll had been handed down from the first incarnations of the oracles who'd procured the scroll's contents from the very gods themselves. The gods were choosing to alter their own decrees.

"So, those disturbances I felt were the oracles entering this world," Chichiri was glad to have one mystery cleared up, at least. Taiitsukun nodded. "And the last one, the fifth one?"

"The earthquake." Taiitsukun supplied. Chichiri nodded. "The demon that attacked Prince Boushin was unexpected," she changed the subject. "I will admit I was shocked at the amount of power Aneko was able to wield, both of her own, and of Nuriko's. Somehow, she was able to call both of you to her, though neither of you, nor she, may realize that she did. By all reasoning she should not have been able to do so, not without her full power." She looked at both of them pointedly. "Lady Aneko deserves some rest and care after such a feat. I want you all to remain here a few days until she is recovered. I'll want to speak to you again before you leave." She waved a hand at them by way of dismissal and floated off to her mirror room to reflect on what she'd just learned, or rather, what she hadn't learned.

~~~~~

Now that she had Suzaku no Orakuru close at hand, Taiitsukun wasn't going to waste time. Lady Aneko had to be made to understand certain things about her destiny, and she had to be reminded of her past existences as Suzaku no Orakuru. Then there were questions she needed to ask the woman. She hadn't been entirely truthful to Danno about Aneko's emotional distress, but she couldn't have Danno charging in where he didn't belong. That evening, when Taiitsukun went to see her, Aneko was lying comfortably on her bed, resting after being treated to the ministrations of Nyan-Nyan.

"I have questions for you," were the first words out of Taiitsukun's mouth. She was utterly shocked with herself. That wasn't what she'd intended to say at all. She scowled to herself, as she felt the intrusive presence of Suzaku. "_Bird Brain_," she thought nastily. "_Aren't Byakko, Genbu, or Seiryu going to do something_? _Suzaku is interfering with their own chosen by doing this_." When she felt no opposition to Suzaku's interference, she scowled even more. "_No, they aren't_. _They're allowing him to do this_." Her anger flared. "_Slow Poke, Fur Ball, and Bad Breath, all of you, curse you_," she insulted them mentally.

"Of course," Aneko complied, sitting up taller against the cushions. Taiitsukun sighed inwardly, then prepared herself for the course she was being forced to follow, rather than what she was intending to accomplish.

"How much do you understand about why Suzaku brought you to this world?" Taiitsukun watched as the young woman thought about that for a few moments.

"Suzaku didn't say a whole lot," she said finally. Taiitsukun nodded. "But I got the impression I was here for some higher purpose. Something so important that a god would charge two powerful men with my safety. He mentioned a purpose." Taiitsukun nodded again.

"Never forget that," Taiitsukun warned. "Never loose sight of the fact you are here for a specific reason. You mustn't allow anything to interfere with it. The consequences could be dire."

"What kind of purpose?" Aneko asked.

"Unfortunately, I'm incapable of telling you right now," Taiitsukun couldn't keep the bitterness from her voice, and Aneko flinched. She forced herself to speak more calmly when next she opened her mouth. "And what of Suzaku's conversation with you as you entered this world?"

"I don't remember how I got here," Aneko admitted. "I don't know if Suzaku spoke to me then or not. I can't really remember much of anything before waking up in the woods in Konan. I remember a few things, like where I was, the season, the weather, finding a place called Genbu Grotto, but I don't know why I was there or what had brought me so far away from Tokyo." Taiitsukun's face remained impassive, but her mind was racing. She didn't like what she was hearing. Something was amiss, and she wanted to know what.

"What else do you remember. Your family? Your occupation?"

"I was raised by my great aunt. She was old, and though she cared about me, she really didn't have the energy to do much more than make sure all my physical needs were met. When I finished school, I took a job as a secretary and set out on my own. It was a relief to my aunt, but she died soon after. That's basically my entire life story," Aneko told her. "But I don't see what that has to do with anything." Taiitsukun was almost shocked. She didn't remember anything about Danno. She should, though. Those two were destined to meet in every lifetime for the rest of eternity. Surely she should remember the man she had loved for millennia?

"Hmm," Taiitsukun betrayed nothing of her concern. She scrutinized the woman through slightly narrowed eyes. "I suggest you try and remember your advent into this world. It might help you to understand more of your purpose here." The ancient one left it at that and made a hasty retreat from the room to her mirror chamber. This was a problem, indeed.

~~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: Ah, the ambiguities. I love making things complicated. ((^_^)) It's like I was told in a writing class. With your main characters, you have to hurt them, hurt them, and hurt them some more. That's what makes it interesting. How am I doing so far? Constructive criticism is always welcome. ~Sapphire


	24. Part Twentythree: Signs of Evil

Disclaimer: _Fushigi Yugi _is Yu Watase's. _Oracles of the Four Gods_ is mine.

Warnings: This part rated PG. Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes: I think I solved my length issue and my writers block has been removed. That was the good news. The bad news, at least for me, the solution requires massive rewriting. None of that affects events already posted, so no need to reread anything.

Oracles of the Four Gods

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Twenty-three ~ Signs of Evil

It was most definitely the biggest bath Aneko had ever seen. It was like a swimming pool to her, but the water was nice and hot, with steam rising from it's surface. She lay relaxing in the comfortable heat, her sore muscles soothed by the warmth of the water. She simply floated on her back, drifting ever so slowly around the hot bath. It was the third time that day she'd indulged herself in seeking refuge in the warm water. Here, she felt practically nothing, the pain she suffered of late was blissfully absent. She was so relaxed, the only danger she faced was falling asleep and drowning.

"Hey! You little twits leave me alone! I'm just gonna take a bath!" Shouts disturbed Aneko in her quiet solitude. "Get yer little pinchers offa me!"

"_It's just Tasuki picking on Nyan-Nyan. Again_," Aneko thought with a smile, drifting back into her half-conscious state. "Tasuki!" she exclaimed, suddenly standing up as she realized just what was going on. As quickly as she could manage, she tried to make a dash for her robes laying on the other side of the bath. Not yet physically recovered, she wasn't quick enough to catch her balance, and slipped on the bottom of the bath, causing a big splash. "_Too late_," she thought, "_He's seen me now for sure_." She slowly pushed her head back above the water's surface, eyes blinking, meeting the stunned gaze of Tasuki who was not more than ten feet from her. The look on his face was...priceless. It was a cross between astonishment, shock, embarrassment, and utter horror. Aneko burst out laughing, in spite of herself.

"Aneko! I- I'm sorry," Tasuki stuttered, completely stunned, "I was- I didn't- Nyan-Nyan! Why didn't ya fuckin' tell me Aneko was in here!?" he turned on the little innocent eyed things and chased them half way across the palace, Aneko was sure.

"What a day," Aneko commented to herself with a shake of her head as she waded through the nearly waist deep water. "Oh, I'm going to ache all over again. I shouldn't have tried that." A few lucky Nyan-Nyans who'd managed to escape Tasuki trotted on over to help Aneko into her robes. They followed after her as she walked stiffly back to her chamber.

"Pretty clothes, pretty clothes!" Nyan-Nyan exclaimed as she brought Aneko some fresh garments to wear, instead of the pale yellow silk robe she'd been wearing when she'd arrived. She accepted the smooth, fine wool garments and ran them through her fingers. They were the softest she'd ever felt. Nyan-Nyan helped her put them on. The pale silvery piece was a long skirt that reached down to her ankles, and the dark magenta was a sleeveless shirt with a high collar. There were even a pair of soft pink slippers for her to wear on her feet. Gazing at the reflection of herself in the mirror, she rather liked the effect of the new clothes.

"Quite comfortable. Thank-you," Aneko said. Nyan-Nyan giggled.

"It's no trouble. Now your hair! Nyan-Nyan will make it pretty, too!" Aneko had discovered that it was just best to accept the help of the cute little creatures. Whenever she tried to wave them off, they'd only be more persistent which made things more difficult. So, with a sigh, she sat down on a stool and allowed them to brush her damp hair smooth and sweep it up with a twist, securing it with two crossing hair sticks. Nyan-Nyan added a tiny little comb shaped like a lotus flower, and Aneko had to admit it was pretty. "Time for dinner!" In a moment she found herself the captive of yet another one of those annoying pink bubbles.

"Hey! Let me walk! Please? I can walk now, really. And I like walking." Nyan-Nyan pouted, hurt that she didn't appreciate the bubble transportation. Aneko couldn't help feeling guilty about making cute little Nyan-Nyans sad. "But I don't know where dinner is, so I'll need you to lead me there," she suggested, hoping that would bring back the smiles. Nyan-Nyan giggled.

"Okay!" they agreed, letting her out of the bubble. Nyan-Nyans tugged on her hands and her skirt as they led her from her chamber in the direction of the waiting dinner.

~~~~~

"Danno," Taiitsukun greeted as the tall man with the blue-green hair and emerald eyes stepped through the door and came to stand before her.

"What was so important?" Danno inquired, worry evident on his features. "Is it Aneko?"

"Oh, she's fine!" Kaori exclaimed, rushing over to put a comforting hand on his arm. "She's here, on the mountain."

"Can I see her?" Danno immediately demanded, eager to see his love after so long apart.

"Sit," Taiitsukun thundered, glaring at the young man. "Your enthusiasm is well noted, but I have business with you." Danno frowned, then followed the pretty blonde to where Wataru was seated, patiently watching them.

"Something happened," Wataru said intuitively. "Whatever it is, it involves your Aneko." Taiitsukun noticed the calm sensitivity with which he spoke. Apparently Danno did, too, because Seiryu no Orakuru settled down and was at immediate attention.

"Is Aneko all right?" Danno quickly asked. Taiitsukun nodded, and that relaxed Danno completely. He was content, for the moment, just knowing she was safe and well.

"I believe our mysterious evil has finally shown itself...or at least shown something of what it intends to do," Taiitsukun began. "A powerful demon appeared in Konan, and attacked the only living heir to the throne, Prince Boushin," Taiitsukun replied.

"Prince Boushin?" Kaori inquired. "But he's just a boy, a toddler. What threat could he be? If he were to die, Konan would be thrown into civil war. Who would wish such a thing? And why?"

"You forget, Kaori," Taiitsukun interrupted, "Prince Boushin is the son of the Suzaku Shichiseishi Hotohori. He is no ordinary prince." She looked at the surprised looks of the three oracles before her. "I have reason to believe that there is more going on than we have perceived. Perhaps my concerns will become clearer if you were to see first hand what occurred." Taiitsukun drummed her fingers together, then motioned for the three to follow her. She floated her way out of the large palace chamber toward a room she rarely invited anyone to enter. The mirror chamber. When the oracles were in place, she proceeded. "Concentrate on the mirror." Kaori, Wataru, and Danno all looked up at the gigantic sheet of gold-framed reflective glass. A scene slowly began to play out before them. They could see a young woman, a red kanji symbol glowing on her chest, as she attempted to prevent a brutish looking man from harming a small child.

"Aneko!" Danno breathed, recognizing her instantly.

"I remind you, this incident has already occurred. It is in the past, and Aneko is now here within my palace," Taiitsukun told him firmly. Tension visibly drained from the young man's muscles at the reminder. "Try to restrain your emotions." Danno nodded. Taiitsukun looked to the mirror and took a breath before continuing.

"This man is no human. He is a demon of a high order. Only a powerful being could have called it forth. Aneko managed to involve herself in this scene and was miraculously able to hold off the demon until the Suzaku Shichiseishi could arrive. The young Prince was saved, and a potential civil war averted," Taiitsukun glanced at Kaori, commending her insight on that particular point. "Lady Aneko took the brunt of the demon's attack. She survived only because she was able to display miraculous use of yet another of the sieshi's powers. This time, it was Nuriko, you can see the 'willow' symbol on her chest. She is still recovering from the encounter."

"Can I see her?" Danno asked immediately, ready to go at a word from the ancient one.

"No," Taiitsukun replied. "I'm not finished with the three of you." Danno closed his mouth, restraining a retort, and forced himself to concentrate. "I suspect this evil entity that threatens us was responsible for the demon. This poses questions: questions I am unable to answer. To help me find the answers, I have a task for you."

"What do you want us to do?" Wataru asked with all practicality.

"Return to your countries, and wait for me to summon you once again. While you wait, observe. Note everything unusual that you come across, no matter how insignificant it seems. We must discover what this evil is, where it came from, and ultimately how to destroy it. Unfortunately this duty will fall on your shoulders. There is no one else who can. The Priestesses have all fulfilled their duties, the next will not appear for more than a hundred years. Four seishi alone cannot defeat this, especially not with two as aged at the Byakko." She fell silent, leaving them to internalize that information.

"This wasn't part of our destiny, was it?" Wataru inquired.

"No. It's not. And until this evil is destroyed, your real purpose in this world is in danger of being destroyed." There was a long silence as the weight of this new responsibility settled over them. "Perhaps now is a good time to go."

"Now may I see Aneko?" Danno asked as he, Wataru, and Kaori stood.

"I'm afraid that is impossible. It seems she suffered some memory loss upon entering this world. She doesn't remember you, Danno." She watched as a pained look crossed the man's face.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I mean, Aneko has no recollection of ever knowing you," Taiitsukun repeated. "For some unknown reason she has blocked all memory of you from her conscious mind. Until she does remember, she mustn't see you. If her memory were to be forced, there is no telling what the repercussions might be, considering the strength of her premature powers and her inability to precisely control them. Recall what you saw in the mirror. Everything she did was based on emotion, and not logical control."

Danno looked stunned. Kaori reached over and patted his arm reassuringly. Taiitsukun could understand Danno's reaction. She knew the gods had promised the oracles that with every rebirth they would find each other again in that new life so they would never be alone and without love. Such a bond was powerful, and though it made those who shared it stronger, it also provided those same people with a weakness. That weakness was beginning to reveal itself in Danno.

"But she will remember, won't she?" Danno beseeched.

"Or course she will," Kaori answered with certainty. "Won't she, Taiitsukun." It was a statement, not a question.

"Suzaku will make certain of it," Taiitsukun replied. "It's in everyone's best interest that she does."

~~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: I'm also posting Chapter 24. Yeay! Two chapters for you! ~Sapphire


	25. Part Twentyfour: Shadows of a Ghost

Disclaimer: Fushigi Yugi does not belong to me. I did not create it, but I sure like to create within it's world. Hopefully the rightful owners won't take offense, considering I'm not making any money off my work.

Warnings: This part rated G. Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes: I am into my last finals week of my university career. It's just days to my graduation. To celebrate, I'm posting two chapters for all of you, and hopefully one more before I move out of my dorm and leave college life behind me forever. I will finish Oracles of the Four Gods, don't worry about that. I've put so much time and effort into it, there's no way I'm going to let this project fall to the wayside. ~Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Twenty-four ~ Shadows of a Ghost

Danno waved to Kaori and Wataru as they parted, then left the large mirror chamber. He wasn't sure which direction he was supposed to go, but he took a guess and figured he'd eventually find his way out of Taiitsukun's palace. Despite his uncertainty, he didn't pay much attention to where he was going. He was worried about Aneko, there was no denying that, and thoughts of her consumed him.

"_She doesn't remember me_? _How_? _How could this happen_?" he wondered. "_She loves me_. _How can she just forget all about me_?" Danno just couldn't fathom it. He would never forget her. She was the very reason he breathed. He couldn't just forget it. And if it was even possible for him to do such a thing, it would take the act of a god to wipe her from his memory and his heart. "_What could have happened to her_?" he wondered. "_What could have happened to make her forget_?"

As he made his way along an empty corridor within the palace, pondering what Taiitsukun had told him, he nearly missed an obscure figure as it crossed the hallway far in the distance. There was something about that figure that was familiar to him. He wondered if it could have been..._her_. He froze where he was. It was entirely possible. She was there on Mt. Daikyoku, after all.

"Taiitsukun said she can't see me," Danno argued with himself as he stood motionless in the center of the corridor, "but she didn't say _I_ couldn't see Aneko," he reasoned. "I could just go see if it was her. She won't even know I'm there. I just have to see her, know that she's okay." That decided him. His conscience just wouldn't allow him to leave Mt. Daikyoku knowing she had been there and he hadn't even tried to find her. He wouldn't let her see him, he vowed. It would only be for a moment, to reassure himself she was well, and then he would slip away.

~~~~~

Aneko slipped into the dining room without Chichiri or Tasuki noticing. Tasuki was sitting there, slumped in his chair, obviously in a foul mood. Chichiri sat watching him curiously, as if wondering what was wrong with him. Aneko smiled roguishly to herself, guessing what was eating at the sulking bandit. Such a mischievous mood was rare for Aneko, but she was feeling so much better than she had two days ago, she couldn't pass up such an easy opportunity to cause a little trouble. Without betraying her intentions, Aneko slipped into the chair opposite Tasuki, smiling shyly at the two seishi.

"Hi," she greeted demurely. "Did you ever get your bath, Tasuki?" Tasuki squirmed in his seat, visibly blushing, though his head was down and his flame colored hair did a lot to conceal most of it. He mumbled a short, unintelligible reply.

"Are you okay, no da?" Chichiri was quite perplexed. Aneko looked between the inquisitive, concerned monk and the blushing bandit, and burst out laughing. She couldn't help herself. Chichiri stared at her open mouthed, and Tasuki glared at her through his wild hair.

"There's nothing wrong with Tasuki," Aneko giggled merrily. "He's just a little embarrassed."

"A little!" Tasuki shouted, looking up and glaring at her, then slumping back down in his chair again, his cheeks practically glowing like his character did when in battle.

"Embarrassed about what, no da?" Chichiri asked. Aneko laughed yet again, recalling the look that had graced Tasuki's face. It had been just so...un-Tasuki.

"Oh, just a little incident while I was bathing," she replied merrily, keeping her gaze on the bandit.

"Shit, I'm sorry, all right!" Tasuki jumped up from his chair and leaned toward her over the table. "How was I s'posed ta know you were in there!?" Aneko didn't have the heart to tease any longer, he was in such earnest, though she still found the whole situation amusing.

"Tasuki," she spoke softly, "it's okay. I'm not angry. In fact, I think it's funny." Aneko grinned across the table. "You don't have anything to be sorry for, except maybe you should be sorry for not knocking...but really, I should be the one to apologize. I'm sorry if my teasing made you think I was upset." Tasuki was so relieved he practically melted as he fell back into his chair with a sigh. Aneko's eyes twinkled with mirth as she watched him finally relax. "I'm hungry, and there's no sense in letting good food go to waste."

"Da," Chichiri replied, quite entertained by the whole exchange. He didn't know the details, but it was just like Tasuki to barge right in, not bothering to check if a room was occupied. Not that the man had to on a normal day. It wasn't as though there were many women on Mt. Leikaku. He could imagine how startled Tasuki was, a man who repeatedly claimed to hate women, to walk in and find an unclothed one in the bath. He smiled to himself, amused, before changing the subject. "Say, you're looking better, no da," Chichiri said to Aneko as he passed her a bowl of soup to eat.

"I feel great, compared to two days ago. Nyan-Nyan healed my broken arm, too," she reported. Chichiri nodded as he passed Tasuki a bowl of the soup. "This is delicious," Aneko stated decidedly after a few spoonfuls. "I think I like it better than the food in the Imperial Palace. The food there is too fancy." Chichiri looked up at her, surprised.

"Hey, Chichiri, take credit where credit's due," Tasuki said, pausing his spoon half way to his mouth. "He cooked it, ya know," he said to Aneko. Apparently the bandit had recovered his dignity quickly, Chichiri thought. He suspected it had a lot to do with the presence of food.

"I've been cooking all the food since we've been here, no da," Chichiri admitted, though he felt somewhat reluctant to do so. He felt an uncomfortable warmth as a pink flush crept up his neck toward his face. "I used to cook when I trained here. I kind of fall back into the habit when I visit, no da." He shrugged, turning back to his soup, hoping they would let it drop and his flushed cheeks would return to normal. Tasuki flashed him a grin, and Chichiri knew that wasn't to be the case.

"Somebody's embarrassed," Tasuki taunted in a sing-song voice. "A pretty girl says she likes his cookin' and he turns red." He winked at Aneko. "Oh, it's nothing, no da," he mimicked. "I'm used to cooking all the time, no da.- Yeow!" he yelped as Chichiri kicked him under the table. "Whatcha go and do that for?" Chichiri ignored him. Out of the blue Aneko started in her chair, then let out a yelp as it tipped over and dumped her onto the floor. Chichiri looked down at her with confused concern. Tasuki just burst out laughing. Chichiri ignored him some more as Aneko grabbed for the edge of the table, then pulled herself up quickly to peer over the top. Her blue eyes darted back and fourth around the room, searching out something. Chichiri looked up as well, but seeing nothing out of the ordinary, looked back at her. All color had drained from her face, and she looked like she was going to be ill.

"Aneko?" he asked.

"I saw...but it can't possibly...how could I have..." she looked up at him as she trailed off. She pulled herself up off the floor. Chichiri got up and righted her chair for her, but she didn't sit back down. She just stood there staring at the doorway across the room.

"What's the matter with you?" Tasuki asked, sobering from his laughing fit. "Aneko, did ya see a ghost or something'?" She looked across the table at Tasuki.

"Ghost..." she mumbled. She shook her head quickly, causing some of her hair to come loose and tumble down her back. "I could have sworn..." She looked between the both of them, unsure what to do next. "Outside," she finally said. "I'm going to go outside and get some fresh air. Go ahead and finish your supper without me." She spun on her heel without another word and walked away. Chichiri stared after her, not sure what to make of all this. Tasuki looked over at him.

"She's the strangest woman I ever met," Tasuki told him with a shake of his head. "And I thought Miaka was nuts..."

"Da," was all that Chichiri had to say.

~~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: Maybe just one more chapter…. ~Sapphire


	26. Part Twentyfive: Saddened Hearts

Disclaimer: Fushigi Yugi belongs to all the wonderful people and companies listed in the blanket disclaimer attached to the prologue. If you're curious who they are, go back and take a look. Otherwise, I'm just going to get on with this. 

Warnings: This part rated PG-13 for language. Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes: Okay, okay, here's chapter 25. It's the last I'll post this time around. Five more chapters to go and we'll be done with "Suzaku's Orakuru". There is no real ending or resolution. Chapter 30 simply comes to a good stopping point before launching into the second part of Aneko's story called "Oracle's Destiny". I'm nearly finished writing "Oracle's Destiny" and have just a few pacing issues to resolve once I've finished my rewrite process. I changed a major detail, and that effects the whole story thereafter. What a job. But enough rambling, here's the next chapter. ~Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Twenty-five ~ Saddened Hearts

Aneko sat on the steps leading up from a courtyard to the massive pavilion of Taiitsukun's palace. She was in a state of shock. Leaning her forehead against the smooth coldness of the banister spindles, a few tears traced their way down her cheeks. How could she have forgotten? She thought back over what had happened. Tasuki's teasing had amused her, and embarrassed her a little, but in a way it had been flattering. If Tasuki felt he could tease her, if indirectly, then he must be beginning to think of her as a friend. And that had pleased her. But as she had looked up at the roguish bandit, she'd seen something she hadn't been prepared to see. She hadn't been sure she'd actually seen it, and she wasn't absolutely certain even now.

There had been a shadow, just beyond the doorway behind him. It struck her as familiar. It was just like the shadow that came to mind when she tried to think of her home. This shadowy figure came complete with the haziness that always clouded her memory and wouldn't allow her access to the answers she knew were locked in her head somewhere. Then the shadow moved, and passed into the light spilling from the well lit dining room. The shadowy figure was brilliantly visible, for just one moment, but that was all it took. The man, for it had been a man, was someone she knew. The haze in her memory lifted suddenly, and she could remember. She remembered everything. Danno. The man she'd once promised to spend the rest of her life with, who had died and left her alone.

Had it been a ghost? A figment of her imagination? She couldn't be sure. All she knew was that she remembered. She couldn't believe she'd allowed herself to forget, even for a moment, the man who'd meant so much to her. Remembering made her feel quite homesick, longing desperately to see Tokyo again, but even more, to return to the life she'd led before Danno had been taken from her. But even those thoughts caused her more grief.

Her heart had twisted at the sight of him, grief over his death making itself acutely felt. Guilt consumed her. She remembered her thoughts, her revelation, as she'd walked through those woods outside Morioka, near the Shizuku Ichi Village. What she'd slowly begun to realize then was much clearer now. She hadn't loved Danno, not as he had loved her. Their whole relationship had been a lie, a lie she had been more than willing to live with the rest of her life. She felt so ashamed of herself.

It wasn't that she hadn't loved him at all, she reminded herself. She had cared for him very much. Danno had been the best friend she'd ever had. When he'd died she'd been grief stricken. That was no sham. She truly mourned his death, and felt the emptiness at his loss. Since the day they'd met, he'd been there for her, and no one in her life had ever cared so much about her before. Was it any wonder she'd thought herself in love with him? Particularly when he was so obviously in love with her? She didn't think so. Looking back she had to admit she really had believed herself in love with him.

No, she hadn't loved him as she should have, for someone who was going to marry him. He deserved better than that, she knew, but she couldn't help but wish she was still in another time and place wrapped up in the safe embrace of Danno's arms. More tears added to the dampness on her face. She knew her wish was impossible. Danno was gone. He was dead. She wished it anyway. Despite reality, despite knowing now that she hadn't loved him, she wished she could go back. They'd been happy, in their ignorance, and she wanted that happiness back, however false it had been.

The memories of the two of them together brought her into a reverie, and she allowed herself to drift into a daydream world, and all the comfort it brought to her troubled mind. She didn't think twice when two strong arms slowly slipped around her. Aneko turned, and leaned into the warm embrace offered her. "_This is how it should be_," she vaguely thought. She felt so safe, like nothing could hurt her.

"Danno," she sighed, hugging him to her. Suddenly something was very wrong. The arms holding her stiffened, and she knew she'd made a terrible mistake. Danno was dead. Whoever was there with her...was not him. She drew away and looked up into the stunned face of Chichiri. "I- I'm so sorry, Chichiri. I- I didn't know what I was saying..." she trailed off, sensing she'd hurt him somehow with that one word.

That name again. He'd heard her say it before, and had wondered. But now he knew. The contented sigh she'd breathed while she slipped into his arms was evidence enough. This mysterious Danno was the man she loved. Why this knowledge disturbed him so much, made him freeze up, was beyond his conscious reasoning.

Aneko pulled away and looked at him with a stunned expression. She started to say something, but he couldn't make his brain comprehend. All he knew was she was distressed about something. Without wasting another moment, he forced a reassuring smile to his masked face. 

"What's wrong?" Chichiri managed to ask. "Are you okay, no da?" Tears sprang to her eyes for no apparent reason. Chichiri watched her fight to control them, and calm herself.

"I- I'm so sorry," she stumbled over her words. "I should have known it wasn't... He's dead and I know- Chichiri, please forgive me." Suddenly she stood up and ran up the steps, headed back into the palace. She didn't look back as Chichiri watched her go. He wondered why it hurt him so much to see her run away from him.

~~~~~

Tasuki could tell there was something bothering Chichiri. It couldn't have been more obvious if he'd been hit over the head with it. He didn't know what it was, but Tasuki knew it had to be something important. Chichiri was so oblivious to everything around him. Every time he tried to talk to the monk, he would receive a single 'da' for a response and nothing more. Chichiri's melancholy was getting on Tasuki's nerves.

"Come on, Chichiri, what's eatin' ya?" Tasuki demanded. "Are ya still pissed 'cause I made fun of ya in front of Aneko?" Chichiri didn't reply at all, much to Tasuki's consternation. "Stop ignoring me!" Tasuki didn't know how much more he could handle.

"Da," Chichiri said with a sigh. That was the 'da' that did it, pushed him over the edge. Tasuki grabbed his Tessen.

"Lekka Shien!" he shouted, aiming a burst of flames at the monk. Chichiri turned in shock, almost unable to believe Tasuki would attack him. Tasuki grinned to himself. "_Surprise_," he thought. Chichiri dove out of the way, though not quick enough to prevent the toes of his shoes from being singed in the hot flames.

"Tasuki, are you crazy, no da?!" Chichiri shouted.

"That's better," Tasuki noted with a grin. "Now, you wanna tell me why you've been moping around all fuckin' night?" Chichiri stared at him a long time, his mouth hanging open in disbelief. Tasuki had to admit he had taken rather drastic measures to get his attention. It had been necessary, the bandit reasoned.

"I'd rather not talk about it, no da," Chichiri told him curtly. Tasuki glared at him.

"You sure are actin' weird," Tasuki grumbled. "Even for you. Ya know, if I didn't know any better, I'd say you're acting just like Tamahome, that time Miaka dumped him." Tasuki paused as that thought sank in. "Hey, you don't...you're not...It's not _Aneko_, is it?" Tasuki could feel the glare emanating from beneath Chichiri's mask and knew he'd hit upon something. "It is, isn't it," Tasuki accused, "You like her, don't you?" The silence his accusation met spoke volumes. "What's the matter? She got a boyfriend or something?" A second later, the symbol on Chichiri's knee was glowing brightly. Tasuki expected some kind of magical blast in return for his well intended flames, but he was shocked when Chichiri stepped up to him and laid into him with a fist, knocking him flat. Then Chichiri stalked out of the room, headed who knew where. "Damn," Tasuki muttered. "Didn't see that one coming."

~~~~~

Nyan-Nyan felt a saddened heart draw her to it. The childlike being was drawn to human pain, she was innately sensitive to it. That's what made her so eager to heal people's hurts. Curious, she popped out to find Chichiri sitting alone by a stream that flowed past the palace. Nyan-Nyan recognized it as the same spot he would sit fishing while he'd trained with Taiitsukun. Like then, he sat cross-legged on the grass, his robe swirled around him. His staff lay across his lap, and his mask lay on the ground beside him. Nyan-Nyan knew from past experience that he was very troubled indeed. She'd seen him like this before, and whenever she had, there had been nothing she could do to cheer him up. She was aware Chichiri suffered from a pain that she could not cure. Much like the scar on his face would not heal until Chichiri allowed it to, Chichiri was the only one who could cure the pain inside. But Nyan-Nyan couldn't let a sad, lonely heart go without trying to cheer it. It wasn't in her nature.

"Why is Chichiri sad?" Nyan-Nyan asked in her high pitched voice.

"Oh, its you, no da," Chichiri replied, looking up at the lone Nyan-Nyan. She was older than he remembered her, he noticed, but she was still very child-like. Her concern was as genuine as ever.

"Aneko's sad too. Everybody's sad. It makes me sad, too," Nyan-Nyan observed. Chichiri looked down at the rippling water of the stream. Nyan-Nyan wondered why her simple statement had caused him to become more depressed.

"Aneko's got good reason to be sad, no da," Chichiri told her after a long while of watching the water run past him. "Someone she loved very much died. She misses him, no da."

"Oh, poor Aneko," Nyan-Nyan said. Nyan-Nyan looked at Chichiri closely. He was looking right at the water, but he wasn't seeing it. She wondered if Aneko's grief had brought back memories of his own lost love. "Is that why Chichiri's sad? Because someone he loved died, too?" Chichiri was silent a long time before turning toward her and answering.

"Thinking of her, of Tenmei, always makes me sad, no da," Chichiri sighed. "But that's not it," Chichiri confided. "I don't have any reason to feel the way I do right now, no da, but I can't help it. I don't even know why..." Nyan-Nyan knew he wanted to be alone when he turned his face away from her as his words trailed off. There was so much sadness, but there was nothing she could do. With a 'pop' Nyan-Nyan was gone.

~~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: Thus concludes my three chapter Graduation Party. Thanks for coming! ((^_^)) ~Sapphire


	27. Part Twentysix: Illusion

Disclaimer: Fushigi Yugi is not mine, nor are the characters that exist within it's universe. Therefore, it would be wrong to try and sell it as such. Being of strong moral fiber I do not receive compensation for my work.

Warnings: This part rated G. Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes: Hey, guess what? I got a chance to post mid-summer! Yeah! Suzaku's Orakuru has only four more parts to go, can you believe it? Then I get to start in on my next piece, "Oracle's Destiny" in which we pick up with where we leave off at the end of "Suzaku's Orakuru". Off topic- Anyone read the new "Harry Potter" yet? I did. It took me two days. Couldn't put it down. I was a little disappointed, though. There is a scene where Dumbledore tells Harry everything, but most of it came as no surprise. I have been making guesses throughout the series as to what was going on, and most of my guesses were either on target, or very close to it. And like book four, this one didn't end happily, either. I shall wait and see what book six brings… ~Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Twenty-six ~ Illusion

Danno had stopped trying to find his way out of the immense palace the moment he'd seen Aneko. He'd hidden in a chamber deep within the palace to think. He didn't want to leave now that he'd seen her. She was so close to him, the want to be with her was overwhelming, but he didn't know where she had gone or where to go looking for her. While hiding, he decided to chance searching for her. If Taiitsukun caught him before he found Aneko- he would deal with it then. Danno left the room he'd chosen to hide in, and started along the infinite passages of the palace.

After searching for hours, he was ready to give up. That's when he sensed the presence of someone in a nearby room. It was entirely possible he'd found one of the two Suzaku Seishi, rather than Aneko, so he approached with caution. Leaning carefully against the door, Danno listened for any signs of life within. What he heard was somewhat muffled, but there was no mistaking the sound of crying. He knew instantly that it was Aneko in there. It made his blood boil that anyone would do or say anything to make his love cry like that. He wanted more than anything to go in there and comfort her, find out what was wrong, and fix it somehow.

It was an impossible wish. He couldn't let her see him. Taiitsukun had said. He shoved his hands into his pockets as he reluctantly turned away. His fingers brushed against a smooth, convex object. He grasped onto it and pulled it from his pocket.

"A shell shin," he whispered under his breath. He'd forgotten he'd had it. "_Aneko can use her powers...I wonder if I can use more of mine_?" Suddenly, he realized that if he could, it would solve his problem. "_I can use the shin to create an illusion, like a dream. I don't even have to be there, but maybe I can_..." He slipped into the room next to hers and shut the door quietly behind him. The room was obviously not being used by any of the guests. He would go undetected, if he was careful.

"Tomo," he whispered, concentrating on the shin in his hand. "I need Tomo's power." He nodded with satisfaction as he felt his skin tingle on his lower right pelvis. He watched in awe as the shin opened in his palm. A face gazed back at him, black eyes set behind a thick layer of makeup.

"I am Tomo, one of the seven Shichiseishi of Seiryu," the translucent face said. "Who are you?" Nothing in this world really surprised Danno anymore. Strange things were always happening to him here. A talking clam shell was just another instance in a long procession of oddities.

"I'm Danno, Seiryu no Orakuru. I wish to use your power."

"The use of illusion can be tricky. Do you think you're up to it?" the voice inquired in a patronizing way.

"I can handle it," Danno snapped, irritated. "But let's get one thing straight. You're dead. Your face that I see is only an illusion of yours. I don't take orders from you. You got that? You listen to me."

"Of course..." Tomo responded obligingly. Danno's eyes narrowed in suspicion. He didn't trust Tomo, or his illusion.

"Here's what I want to do..." Danno began as he set the shin on a low table against the wall and stood facing it. 

~~~~~

Danno was certain he could pull it off. With Tomo's assistance, he was going to be able to see Aneko without her realizing he was really there. That ought to appease Taiitsukun, should the ancient one ever find out about this escapade. It was past midnight when he emerged from the room he'd hidden within. He'd waited this long to be certain Aneko was sound asleep. There hadn't been a sound from her room in hours. He tip-toed down the corridor to Aneko's door, then bent and slipped the shin under it. A faint blue glow lit up the empty space between the door and the floor, and he knew that it had opened. Danno silently slid the door open and slipped inside. Making sure the door was locked securely behind him, he began to work his illusion, carefully building it to fit the room.

~~~~~

__

Aneko awoke to find herself curled up on Danno's living room couch. She didn't remember falling asleep. She didn't remember being there. In fact, she didn't remember anything at all before she woke. A shiver went up her spine.

"Danno?" she called out, swinging her legs over the side of the couch as she sat up. "Danno, are you here?" Then she remembered. Danno was dead. "What am I doing in his apartment_?" she wondered. "Strange," she said. "You'd think they'd have emptied this place by now."_

"Why would they do that?" Aneko spun around and backed into the wall when she saw Danno standing against the doorframe to his bedroom, just watching her, with a faint smile on his lips. He walked towards her casually.

"It can't be- " she stopped mid-sentence as he rounded the couch and approached her.

"Why do you look so scared?" Danno asked, concern evident in his features. "Are you okay? You're not sick, are you?" Aneko just stared at him in frightened awe.

"This is a dream. It has to be a dream. You can't really be here..." Her voice shook with emotion as she spoke. Danno looked confused.

"What are you talking about? Of course I can be here. I live here, remember?" Aneko felt a tear run down her cheek. He was standing there, talking to her, but he wasn't real. He was just part of a very realistic dream.

"Did you have a nightmare?" Danno asked as he came up to her and wrapped her in his arms and kissed the top of her head. He felt so real to her...she slipped her own arms around him and held on tight.

"What's wrong?" he whispered faintly in her ear.

"Danno," she whispered back in a quivering voice, "I'll never forget you again. I promise."

"You forgot me? In your dream?" he asked. Aneko didn't want to explain. It would be of no use. He was just part of her dream.

"You left and I forgot about you," she told him. "I know it wasn't your fault, though. You'd never leave me intentionally."

"No, I'll never leave you," Danno assured her, hugging her closer. Aneko buried her tear streaked face in his warm sweater. She could smell the faint scent of cologne, and that person smell that was uniquely Danno. It was so real...

"And I won't forget you ever again," she vowed. "I owe your memory that much." She snuggled closer in his embrace knowing such comfort could not last, that dreams were altogether too short lived.

"You don't have anything to worry about," Danno said to reassure her. "I won't let you forget." Then he leaned down and kissed her.

~~~~~

Danno waited until Aneko was asleep again before breaking the illusion. So she remembered. Somehow she had remembered all on her own. One thing was odd, though. She'd said she'd never forget him again, that she owed his memory that much. It was an unusual statement to make, and it troubled him.

On a whim, he pulled another shin from the deep recess of his pocket. He wanted to see her again, even if it could only be within the confines of an illusion. Now that he'd done it before, creating a new illusion was rather easy. He created a small realm for himself and Aneko to exist within, at least in their dreams. Then he slipped the tiny shell into a travel pack near her bed. It would travel with her wherever she went. It was a way to remain with her, even if he had to go. He looked at the sleeping woman with tenderness.

"Sayonara, Aneko. We'll be together soon. You won't have to wait much longer, I promise."

~~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: Hmmmm. I think I'll post another part while I've got the chance. ~Sapphire


	28. Part Twentyseven: Departure

Disclaimer: Fushigi Yugi is the work of Yu Watase and belongs to her, and some companies that were involved in publishing, animating, dubbing, distributing, and advertising her work. Notice that nowhere in that did I mention myself. Verstehen Sie? Good. 

Warnings: This part rated PG-13 for some language. Overall rating of PG-13 

Notes: Okay, here is one more chapter in my midsummer posting. I'm glad I found a way to get this up without too much hassle. Enjoy! ~Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Part Twenty-seven ~ Departure

Taiitsukun found the two Suzaku seishi and their Orakuru sitting silently at the breakfast table. Even Tasuki was quiet, which was rare, Taiitsukun thought. He was intent on eating his food, while the other two absently picked at theirs. Taiitsukun narrowed her eyes at them before making her presence known to the slouching, unhappy, group.

"Ah-hem," she cleared her throat, gaining the attention of the young people at the table. "It's time the three of you returned to Konan. While Aneko is not fully recovered, she is well enough to travel."

"Travel?" Aneko's voice was soft and quiet. "I thought we'd go the same way we came..." she looked up at Chichiri furtively, then looked back down at her plate. "I suppose I shouldn't assume things."

"This has nothing to do with Chichiri," Taiitsukun informed her impatiently, wondering what that was all about, but dismissing it for lack of time to pursue it. "I have a task for you, one similar to that which I have assigned the other oracles."

"Other oracles?" Aneko looked up expectantly. "I'm not the only one?" Taiitsukun started. "There are others like me? Other people from my world?"

"I never did get around to telling you, did I?" Taiitsukun pondered. "There were more important things…Yes, there are others. You are Suzaku no Orakuru. There is also an oracle for each of the other gods. And yes, they are all here in this world."

"Are they here?" Despite everything, she was curious about the others like herself. "I can't wait to meet them. Just to be able to talk to someone from my own world again, I can't tell you how wonderful that would be-"

"Do you think they must come here for me to speak with them?" Taiitsukun asked instead of answering. It was an innocent question, though it was misleading. Aneko shook her head. "Do not try and find them. It is not the time for you to join them yet. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Aneko reluctantly agreed.

"Now," Taiitsukun addressed all three of them. "The demon you encountered tells me there is an immediate danger to this world. I have asked the other oracles to observe what goes on in their respective lands, to note anything unusual, no matter how small. It would be practical for the three of you to travel back to Eiyou by the usual modes, either by foot or by horse. It would be an excellent opportunity to observe Konan and find out what kinds of things may have been going on outside the capital. Nyan-Nyan will make sure you have sufficient supplies for your journey." That said, Taiitsukun left them to finish their meal and leave at their leisure.

Aneko sighed, pushing her plate away from her.

"I'm not hungry," she mumbled. "I'm going to pack." She left quickly, leaving the two men staring after her in silence. She hurried to her room, glad that Nyan-Nyan wasn't there to transport her via bubble again. She pushed the door to her room open and stepped inside. The moment she put her foot down, she heard a crunching noise as something broke beneath her feet. Aneko looked down to see the remains of a small shell.

"_Odd_," she thought. "_How did that get there_?" She didn't ponder her question long. Nyan-Nyan was busy wreaking havoc. Aneko sighed at the clothing, shoes, and other items strewn about all over, everything in mass disarray. Nyan-Nyan was packing, she guessed, though she didn't know how things had gotten so out of hand, considering the only thing she owned in the room was a single yellow sleeping robe, and even that had been given to her by the generous Empress of Konan.

"Aneko!" one of the Nyan-Nyans squealed, spying her. "We have presents for you!"

"Presents? For me?" Aneko wasn't sure what to expect from the child-like Nyan-Nyans.

"Look, new clothes!" one exclaimed as several held up assorted silk, linen, and wool garments for her to see.

"And pretty combs, too!" said another, handing her the lotus flower comb she'd worn the night before, plus one with a lavender butterfly.

"We're helping pack," a third told her, stuffing some blue article of clothing into a new travel pack. Obviously it was a gift as well.

"Here, let me show you," Aneko said, pulling the blue item back out of the pack. "Here's how you fold..."

~~~~~

Tasuki shook his head as they loaded the travel packs onto the horses Taiitsukun had given them. Chichiri was avoiding any unnecessary contact with Aneko, keeping as much distance between himself and her as he could manage without being overtly obvious about it. Aneko, on the other hand, was treading very carefully where ever Chichiri was concerned. It was as if she was afraid she'd offend him with her mere presence.

"Shit," he muttered to himself, "I ain't babysittin' the whole fuckin' way to Eiyou."

"Did you say something, Tasuki?" Aneko asked softly from behind him. Tasuki spun around to face her, worried she'd heard too much.

"Ah, nothin'. Nothin' at all." She shrugged and turned back to her horse, giving one last tug on the straps holding saddle and travel pack in place. Then she put one foot in a stirrup and heaved herself upward. Tasuki rolled his eyes. Was every woman from the other world incompetent when it came to horses? Aneko failed miserably at getting into the saddle. She was determined, though, and tried again. Tasuki stepped over and gave her a push. She looked surprised to find herself in the saddle, until she saw him. She smiled gratefully, then arranged her long skirt around her to tuck it out of the way. "You gonna be okay ridin' all the way back?" Tasuki asked.

"I'll be fine," Aneko assured him with a laugh. "I've ridden some before. Just never in a long skirt." Tasuki shrugged and turned back to his own horse and mounted up. When he was in the saddle, he turned to see Chichiri following suit.

"Ready?" he asked. He got a nod from Chichiri and a slight wave from Aneko for confirmation. Tasuki rolled his eyes again and urged his mount forward down the path leading them back to Konan. He could hear the hooves of the other horses as Aneko and Chichiri followed his lead. After ten minutes of silence, Tasuki knew this was going to be a long trip. He almost wished Miaka was there, her and her incessant chatter. Even that would be better than the icy silence that had formed between his two companions. He couldn't wait to get back to Eiyou.

~~~~~

The small group had been traveling for several days. In all the places they had stopped for either meals or to stay the night, not a single thing looked, sounded, or felt unusual. Life in Konan was, well, _normal_. The days dragged by, particularly because of the silence between Aneko and Chichiri. Tasuki found that especially irritating. After the first day, he decided he would have preferred cut-throat animosity over their self-imposed silence.

Aneko sometimes rode abreast with him and chatted for a while, which broke up the monotony, but she would quickly run out of things to say and fall back into her thoughts. From the tidbits of conversation, he gathered she'd had some kind of misunderstanding with the monk, and this whole..._thing_...had stemmed from that. What the thing actually was, he wasn't sure, but Tasuki knew that Aneko was remorseful over whatever part she'd had in the whole mess.

To cheer her up and take her mind off of it, Tasuki had made a rather nice gesture, if he did say so himself, and bought a map of Konan for her. She'd asked what it was for, and he'd suggested she use it to keep track of the places she'd been in the country. She'd smiled, pleased with the idea. Every night since then she'd marked all the villages they'd passed through with a writing tool she called a _ball point pen_, which she'd had with her from her own world when she'd arrived in Konan. The novelty of the map eventually wore off, providing only a distraction in the evenings, and she grew silent again. Adding further to Tasuki's disgust, Chichiri didn't do a thing to ease the situation.

One night, as they finished up supper at a cozy village inn, Tasuki decided he needed some real company. He looked around the large room that served as both tavern and dining area for some possible 'new friends' and spotted a group of men who looked about as close to his own Leikaku bandits as he was likely to get in this farming area of Konan. They seemed to be enjoying themselves, which was more than he could say for himself right then.

~~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: Well, that's all for today. Later! ~Sapphire


	29. Part Twentyeight: Spy's Return

Disclaimer: Oh, but I wish I'd thought of Fushigi Yugi first! Fact is I didn't, so I'm settling for borrowing a few ideas.

Warnings: This part rated PG-13 for language. Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes: Hi all! I've managed to get to a computer once again this summer. This is going better than I thought. Okay. Today I'm posting the last three chapters in "Suzaku's Orakuru". You're probably eager to read. ~Sapphire.

Oracles of the Four Gods

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Chapter Twenty-eight ~ Spy's Return

"I'm goin' to get some sake." Aneko looked up, watched Tasuki rise from his seat, and sighed as he headed toward the counter. Her eyes followed him as he got himself a bottle of sake, then found some less than reputable looking men in the corner of the crowded inn's tavern and invited himself to join them. She continued to watch as Tasuki managed to swindle a second bottle of sake from one of the drunk men, as well as lift a beautiful bone handled dagger that, Aneko thought, had probably been stolen property anyway. She shook her head and sighed.

"I guess he really is a bandit," Aneko commented to Chichiri.

"He never learns, no da," Chichiri agreed with a shrug. There was silence again. Aneko felt uncomfortable. "I'm going to see about some rooms." The statement was abrupt as Chichiri pushed his bench back and stood. "I'll try and find someplace to keep the horses, too, no da." Aneko nodded and watched him as he walked away. When he was out of sight, she sighed and pushed her plate away so she could spread her map out on the table. She was already tired of traveling and wanted to get back to the capital. She traced their route out on the map and counted the days it had taken them to get as far. Then she measured and compared the distance left to go. It would be three days, maybe four, before they arrived at their destination. Aneko sighed again. She pushed the bench back as she stood up to roll the map scroll around the wooden dowels.

"Pretty young thing," a heavy, grainy voice said behind her. Aneko barely had the time to register it as unfamiliar and unfriendly before she was roughly grabbed around the waist, and pulled right over the bench between her and the uninvited stranger. Finding herself being manhandled, Aneko twisted in the grip of her assailant and stared at his wrinkly, dirty face over her shoulder.

"Hands off, you creepy old man," she demanded, jabbing an elbow into his ribs, not at all happy about the disruption. He released her, pushing her forwards, and she fell unexpectedly against someone else. She looked up to find a much younger, but equally dirty man looking down at her with drunken lust. "Disgusting," she grumbled to herself. The pair seemed little better than those slavers she'd encountered her second day in Konan. It gave her the creeps, and she tried to extract herself from the man's grip.

"Hey Pa," he said, eyeing Aneko critically, "can I keep this one?" Aneko's eyes flew open in surprise. "She's a pretty one, foreign looking." Aneko glanced across the tavern where Tasuki was still sitting, enjoying his sake. He hadn't even noticed there was anything amiss. Her eyes darted around, searching for Chichiri, but the monk was nowhere to be seen, still out attending to his errands.

"You ain't going to throw this one away when you've finished with her, this time," the old one said authoritatively. "She'll be worth somethin' to a brothel somewhere." Aneko couldn't believe her ill luck. They actually _were_ slave traders, and they were going to rape her and sell her.

"Tasuki!" she shouted, "Help me!" The younger one holding her captive clamped a hand over her mouth, and the last of her shouts came out garbled at best. She felt the panic rise from the pit of her stomach. It took effort, but she fought the urge and forced herself to think. Time was running out as they dragged her toward the door. Her gaze lighted upon two large men, built up from a lifetime of hard labor, sitting on a bench with their backs to her. "_A diversion_," she thought. As they approached the two men, she waited until they were right beside them, then planted her feet hard on the floor. Her captor was momentarily stunned by her forceful resistance, and she used that against him. With all of her weight, she threw herself into him, causing him to stumble backward into the two seated men. She was rewarded by the sound of the bench toppling over with a crash, the two men sitting on it landing with a thud on the floor.

"Hey, what'd ya do that for!" one shouted, outraged. Both were fuming.

"Huh?" her captor mumbled, bewildered, "I- " Aneko bit into the hand covering her mouth, and the man yelped in pain. Aneko spat, the awful taste of his dirty hand making her sick. She tried to ignore the horrid salty bitterness in her mouth as she tore herself from his grasp. A stocky, but muscular, man stood barring her escape.

"Where d'you think yer goin?" he said, staring down at her. The panic started to rise again. She'd thought she was free... "Them two owe us fer knockin' us over. I think you'll do just fine for payment." Aneko felt cold fear steal over her as the stocky man reached for her.

"Don't even think about it," Tasuki stood to the left, Tessen in hand. Aneko was relieved, the panicky feeling dissipating. The stocky muscle mass turned and faced the bandit.

"What's a skinny whelp like you gonna do about it?" he taunted. His taller companion grabbed Aneko by the wrist. She yelped, not expecting it. "You can have her when we're done." A choking fit suddenly afflicted the bandit, to Aneko's sheer disbelief, and she wondered if she was going to make it out of there in one piece or not.

"Not me," Tasuki finally managed to utter, "And not you, either, bastards."

~~~~~

Kouji was sitting in his tent when the shout came from the gate. Satoshi had returned. He hadn't expected the bandit for a few more days. Kouji wondered what had brought the man back early. He flung the tent flap open and hurried outside. He glanced upward at the overcast, darkening sky and threw the flap closed expecting more rain soon. He briefly thought how glad he was being up on the mountain. With all the recent rain, he was sure they'd be swimming through camp if it didn't all run down the mountain. He shook his head and hurried over toward the kitchen. Tohru was waiting for him when he got there.

"They're sendin' 'im here," Tohru announced. "I cleared the place out." Kouji nodded, then pulled a stool up near the fire, and propped a foot up on it, leaning on his knee as he waited. Moment's later, Kaneto hurried inside, dragging Satoshi along with him.

"It's all clear," Kaneto announced as plunked himself down on a second stool. "We can talk." Kouji nodded. Then he, Tohru, and Kaneto turned to Satoshi.

"What the fuck are those damned mercs up to?" Kouji asked.

"It aint' good, Kouji," Satoshi said. "I got close enough ta watch fer a few days. At first, wasn't nothin' worth seein'." Satoshi glanced between the three men opposite him. "Three days back, they started actin' fuckin' weird."

"How?" Kouji demanded.

"Instead a actin' like a normal camp, they turned all predictable. Everyone was the same." That startled Kouji. If there was anything a band of mercs was not, that was predictable. Even under the best of captains, a mercenary group was prone to change it's mind and intentions at the drop of a hat, or an ample amount of gold coin. "They was actin' like an army."

"Anything else?" Tohru asked after a long pause.

"Yeah," Satoshi said reluctantly. "They're comin' here."

"Ta Mt. Leikaku?" Kouji was alarmed. "When?" he demanded when Satoshi nodded.

"I couldn't hear that much, but that damned woman made it clear, she want's the mountain. She don't care if those mercs kill us ta get it. An' there's more of em than before."

"Shit," Kouji spat. "You talkin' about the woman that made the earthquake?" Satoshi nodded. "Shit!" Kouji looked to Kaneto and Tohru. "We need Genrou. Somebody has ta go get 'im." Genrou wasn't going to like this, but there was little else they could do. "Oh, hell, I'd go, but I can't leave. Wouldn't be right. Genrou left me in charge." He looked between Tohru and Kaneto. There was little choice in the matter. No one else in camp could cook a decent meal, except Tohru. Kaneto would have to go. "Kaneto-"

"Yeah, I know. I'll go. Right now." He stood up from the stool.

"Ride hard, don't stop 'less ya have ta," Kouji instructed as he followed him out of the kitchen, leaving Tohru in the midst of packing food supplies for the trip. "When ya get ta Eiyou, go ta the palace. Tell the men at the gates yer lookin' fer Tasuki. They might not let ya in. Shit. If I could go..."

"Ya can't. So get the hell over it," Kaneto barked. "What'll I do if they ain't gonna let me in?"

"Go back every day, or, just camp right next ta the gate. Stay there 'till they bring him to ya." Kouji stepped over a deep, mud filled rut in the soggy ground. "One thing. Don't go gettin' any ideas 'bout sneakin' in. Only bastards in a rush ta get dead do stupid shit like that." Kaneto nodded. "Genrou'll come ta you. If he don't, he ain't there. If he ain't there, wait 'till he gets back."

"That all?" Kaneto asked as they reached the pasture where they kept the horses and motioned his horse to come forward.

"One last thing," Kouji said. "It's a five day trip. Try ta make it in three."

"I'm only human," Kaneto commented.

"An' I'm dead serious," Kouji replied.

~~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: On to the next chapter! ~Sapphire


	30. Part Twentynine: Disruption

Disclaimer: Fushigi Yugi blah blah, Yu Watase blah blah, corporates blah blah, no compensation to me blah blah.

Warnings: This part rated PG-13 for language. Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes: Oh, this is exciting. My first finished work on FF.net! ~Sapphire

Oracles of the Four Gods

Suzaku's Orakuru

By: Sapphire

Chapter Twenty-Nine ~ Disruption

The pompous, stocky drunk lunged at Tasuki, but Tasuki easily sidestepped him. Angry, the brute got up from the floor where he'd fallen and tried again. While Tasuki threw himself with relish into this common tavern brawl, Aneko found herself being hauled away unceremoniously toward the back of the establishment.

Most of the tavern customers were engrossed in the battle going on between Tasuki and the lumbering muscle mass. The only people who noticed Aneko were a few men too drunk to care. One even smiled lasciviously at them and said, "lucky man," before passing out across the table he occupied. With a whimper, Aneko thought she was doomed. She tried to free herself, or at least slow her tormentor, but she was being pulled steadily by the arm toward the stairs that led to the guest rooms of the inn. The closer she got, the more desperate her struggles became.

"Tasuki!" she shouted, but he was too engrossed in his fight to notice she was missing, and the shouts of the onlookers drown out her cries of distress. Then, just as they reached the steps leading upward, Aneko felt a warmth in her blood that she was coming to know well. "_Suzaku_!" The skin on her forehead tingled and by the look on her captor's face, she knew a character had just appeared there.

"You have the ogre symbol on yer forehead!" he exclaimed in shock. "What- who are you?" Aneko didn't bother to reply. Instead she let fly a powerful kick from the side and connected with his ribcage just under his raised arm. "Ouff!" The man's grip relaxed for a split second, just long enough for her to extract her arm from his big hand. She sent the flat of her hand up into the underside of his chin, forcing his head to snap back, and the man to stumble backward. A single well placed hit into the base of his neck rendered him immobile, and he collapsed along the side of the wall. Aneko backed away cautiously, astonished at herself. She'd been so cold and calculating through all that. It wasn't like her, she almost frightened herself. She shook her head, dismissing it all, then turned and ran for the crowd that was still gathered around Tasuki.

The bandit seemed to be enjoying himself, she noted. He was currently playing around, taunting the muscle man that had tried taking her from the bumbling idiots that had started the whole ruckus. The stocky guy made a rush for Tasuki, but the bandit pulled a quick turnaround and brought the hard handle of his Tessen down on the man's head. She shook her head, watching. He was like a child at play.

Suddenly she felt a hand snake around her waist again. She could tell by the foul stench and the way she was manhandled that it was the old man who'd originally approached her. She caught sight of his son making for them from the corner of her eye. The look on his face was less than inviting, but she had a surprise for him. Playing the helpless victim for a few moments, she struggled meekly in the older man's grasp until the son reached them. Then with a smirk, she laid out the old man with a knee to the groin, and took out Junior with a flying kick that made contact with the hard skull just above his right temple. He collapsed in a heap next to his prone father.

Aneko looked around the silent, speechless crowd. They were busy looking between her, and Tasuki, who'd finally decided it was time to take out his opponent. Tasuki's glare challenged any of them to try something. There were no takers, and they all wandered back to their tables, talking to each other in low whispers, pointing at Aneko at they gave her fleeting glances.

Tasuki stepped down off of the stocky man's back where he'd been standing, pinning him down, and took hold of Aneko's arm. He maneuvered her through the tables, benches, and people making his way to their table. He carefully kept a surly glare roving from man to man throughout the establishment to discourage any further unwanted confrontations.

"The symbol fer 'oni' is on your forehead," he hissed in Aneko's ear before pushing her gently down onto the bench at their corner table. Aneko glanced upward, going cross-eyed as she tried to see for herself.

"It seems so," she agreed, "though all I can see is the red glow."

"Everyone's starin' at you an' I don't like it," he glared at the room in general as he took a seat beside her, up against the wall, where he had a good view of everything. "Can't ya turn it off?"

"I can't make it come or go," Aneko responded, "It'll go away soon on it's own, I think."

"Not soon enough," Tasuki grumbled. "Where'd Chichiri go?"

"Is something wrong?" Aneko asked in a soft voice. "Did I do something?"

"No," was Tasuki's curt reply.

"I must have. You're acting strangely," Aneko insisted.

"It ain't you, it's them." He indicated the tavern's patronage with a nod of his head.

"Them?"

"Four of 'em already tried somethin' with you. The rest are just as fuckin' drunk. Can't trust 'em." That seemed to satisfy her curiosity. She fell silent. For the first time in the entire trip, Tasuki was glad she wasn't being sociable.

"Rooms," she said. Tasuki nearly jumped, her simple statement was so unexpected.

"What?" Tasuki demanded, confused.

"Chichiri went to rent some rooms, and find a place for the horses," she replied. "Isn't that what you wanted to know?" Tasuki nodded almost imperceptibly. He'd almost forgotten he'd asked. He drummed his fingers impatiently, his arms crossed over his chest imposingly.

"He better hurry the hell up." No sooner had the words left his mouth than the monk in question came in through the door on the far side of the tavern. He weaved his way toward them, then slid onto the bench opposite Tasuki and Aneko.

"Hey, 'oni' is glowing on your forehead, no da," he said to Aneko.

"She knows. And it's about time you showed," Tasuki muttered. "After we beat off the bad guys." Chichiri looked at them questioningly. "We had a little trouble," Tasuki explained vaguely. "The faster we get out a here, the better."

"Did you get us rooms?" Aneko asked. Chichiri nodded reluctantly.

"What now?" Tasuki growled. Wasn't anything going to go right for a change?

"Only one room, it's all they had." Aneko raised her eyebrows.

"That's probably a good idea anyway," Tasuki snorted. "Can't turn yer back on her for a second or she'll find trouble." Aneko glared at him, not appreciating his remark.

"Well, anyway, there's nothing we can do about it, no da," Chichiri said. They collected their belongings and headed for their room.

~~~~~

_"Father Yoshi, I'm worried...about Danno. He's late, and he hasn't called."_

"Aneko," Yoshi's voice was strained. "Danno was in a crash." "He didn't make it."

"Didn't...make...it?"

"He died instantly," Yoshi told her.

"Died?"

"Yes." There was silence.

"Father Yoshi?" Aneko asked. Still silence. Tears wet her face as they streamed down her cheeks. Yoshi Toya wasn't there any more. Why would he be when Danno was gone? "Why did you leave me, Danno, why?"

"I didn't leave you," Danno's voice spoke to her. "I'm right here." And he was. They were sitting in her living room, two mugs of hot chocolate on the coffee table between them. She suddenly realized she was dreaming again.

"I'm so sorry, Danno," she said, her tears still damp on her face. "I keep forgetting."

"Me? How could you forget me?" He looked at her with sad, lonely, dark green eyes.

"I didn't mean to forget-"

"But you did," he pointed out. "I'd never have forgotten you. Why did you forget me?"

"Because I- because I don't love you," she admitted hesitantly.

"You don't love me?" his voice sounded strange, almost angry. "You don't love me so you forgot me?"

"Danno, I-"

"I loved you," he cut her off. "I still love you." Aneko started to cry. "I don't understand what's happened to you." She sat there helplessly. "Could you learn to love me?" he asked. Aneko looked up, surprised.

"I- I don't know," she said through her sniffles.

"Then I'll make you love me. Somehow," he told her.

"But Danno, you're dead."

~~~~~

Aneko's eyes flew open. She stared up at the ceiling and tried to steady her ragged breathing as tears trailed from the corners of her eyes. She turned her head and looked across the room where Tasuki and Chichiri were sleeping. They appeared to be in the depths of slumber, and Aneko was glad her nightmare hadn't caused her to disturb them. Using the corner of the blanket to dry her tears, she quietly got to her knees and crawled toward the window that was inset in the wall just above the center of her bed. She inched the shutter open to reveal the night beyond it. She leaned on the wide sill, sitting with her feet tucked up beneath her, and gazed up at the stars. Somewhere out there were the constellations of Suzaku. Though she couldn't recognize them yet, she spoke to them with her mind. 

"_What does it mean_?" she asked. "_What does my dream mean_?" A thin wisp of a cloud passed over the half moon shining down on the street below her window. "_Does it mean something, or was it simply just a dream_?" There were no answers out there for her to find, she knew, but she looked for them anyway. Leaning heavily on the sill, she fell asleep there just as the first light of dawn began to tinge the eastern sky.

~~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: One more to go! ~Sapphire


	31. Part Thirty: Travelers Return

Disclaimer: _Fushigi Yugi: The Mysterious Play_ was created by Yu Watase, who has real claim to it, along with people at Pioneer Entertainment, Shogakukan, Flower Comics, Bandai, Studio Pierrot, TV Tokyo, and anyone else on this seemingly endless list that I forgot to mention. Fushigi Yugi characters were used without permission. This story was created for other Fushigi Yugi fans to enjoy. No money is being made from this fic.

Warnings: This part rated PG-13 for language. Overall rating of PG-13.

Notes: This is it! My last chapter in "Suzaku's Orakuru" for you. Mind you, "Oracles of the Four Gods is two thirds away from being completed, but here is the finished first 'book' (so to speak). ~Saphire.

Oracles of the Four Gods

Suzaku's Orakuru

By : Sapphire

Part Thirty ~ Travelers Return

"Your highness!" Empress Houki looked up toward the enormous, ornate doors of the main audience chamber of the palace just as Aneko, Tasuki, and Chichiri were admitted through it. A warm, welcoming smile spread across her face as Lady Aneko announced, "We're back!"

"Lady Aneko!" the Empress exclaimed, rising from her seat on the throne. "You are looking very well!"

"I'm quite recovered," Aneko confirmed as she hurried forward. Houki reached out and took the taller woman's hands and clasped onto them in friendly greeting. The Empress waved away her advisors and hand servants as she walked with Suzaku no Orakuru toward the two seishi.

"You will have to tell me all about it. What did the great Taiitsukun have to say?"

"Maybe we shouldn't talk here," Chichiri spoke up, interrupting the two women. "We should go somewhere more private, no da." Houki looked up at the monk and nodded.

"Agreed," she said. "I know just the place. Follow me." Empress Houki hooked her arm through Aneko's and led them through the palace corridors in the general direction of the Royal Apartments. In an inconspicuous corner there was a small room with a long table and eight chairs squeezed around it. "In here. No one will disturb us. There are few who even know of this room's existence." She settled herself into the cushioned chair at the head of the table and indicated the others sit. The atmosphere turned serious as the Empress gazed at the sober expressions the other three turned to her.

"Taiitsukun has felt the evil presence Suzaku told us about," Chichiri began. "She's worried about it, no da."

"The great Taiitsukun is worried?" Empress Houki didn't like the sound of that one bit.

"She doesn't know what the fuck it is, either," Tasuki added. "No one does."

"Taiitsukun does seem to think it can be defeated, though," Aneko put in.

"How?" Houki demanded. If there was a way to protect her son and her people, she wanted to know it immediately.

"We don't know," Chichiri explained. "Taiitsukun sent us back to Konan and told us to be on the lookout for anything unusual, no matter how small."

"What is that supposed to accomplish?" Houki looked between all three, confused beyond imagination. It seemed to her the more they learned, the less they knew.

"Information," Aneko replied quietly. "She wants us to gather information."

"The other three Oracles were told the same damn thing," Tasuki put in.

"Other oracles?" Now they had the Empress' total attention. "There are more oracles?"

"Yes," Aneko responded. "The oracles of Genbu, Byakko, and Seiryu have all come to this world, too. Taiitsukun says that all four must come together in order to gain their full power. I'm not sure what that means, or how it works, or when it's supposed to happen, but you can be sure Taiitsukun will let us know when the time comes."

"Ambiguous," Houki commented. "The other oracles, they are working together, with us, and Taiitsukun?" Ambiguity could be dealt with if assurances could be made. The Empress only wanted her mind set at ease. She wanted to know that her son and her people would be safe from this evil.

"We didn't meet the other oracles," Chichiri told the Empress. "We don't know their personal feelings. We do know, whether the other oracles want to or not, they _will_ work with us. They have to, or they can't complete the work they were meant to do in this world, no da."

"Taiitsukun told me," Aneko related, "she said I have to remember I was brought here for a purpose, and that I can't allow anything to interfere with that purpose. She was very serious. The other oracles will do what they must for the same reason that I will do what I must."

"What purpose brought you here?" Houki asked. Aneko was silent for a moment before answering.

"That's the one thing I really wish I knew. I can't imagine why I was brought here."

"And you'll do whatever it is that you must? No matter what it is?" Houki pressed. As Empress Regent, she wanted her assurance.

"I'll do it. I have to do it. I want to do it. I am Suzaku no Orakuru."

~~~~~

In a black tent, at the foot of a high mountain, sat a tall, lithe woman with flowing magenta hair that reached past her waist. Her sharp red eyes gazed up at the cloud shrouded lofty heights of the mountain. She fingered the heavy ornamented necklace that hung about her neck as she thought. She pulled her fine wrap about her bare shoulders as a misty gust of wind blew into the tent. It did little to cover the woman's provocatively dressed form. A slow, but deliberate, smirk came to her voluptuous lips.

"Soon," the word was low and soft, almost non-existent. She was biding her time, waiting while she adjusted to the strains of constantly expending energy. There was no doubt that she would adjust, and then she could begin to regain her strength and build her energy up again. "Then," she whispered, "then the mountain will be mine."

"My Lady," a man announced himself, peering into the tent. "Ah, my Lady looks to the mountain again."

"Kazuo, my Captain," the woman purred. "You have news?"

"My Lady, my spy has returned. He reports the men who were away during our first attack have returned. They've begun to rebuild." The smirk on her face broadened until it nearly became a smile.

"Have they really?" she asked. "Their defenses are no match to us. Let the pitiful fools waste their precious energy."

"My Lady, I had thought you'd want to attack," Captain Kazuo asserted. "I thought it prudent to attack when they were still weak."

"I've already told you they are no match for us. Leikaku is as good as ours. Besides, I have other business to tend to. Business pertaining to Eiyou." Captain Kazuo raised a questioning eyebrow at her. "Let's just say, I must rectify the outcome of a certain incident. Surely there is something that the men can do until the imminent trip up the mountain?" Captain Kazuo nodded. "Then go have them do it."

"As you wish, My Lady."

~~~~~

To be continued…

End Notes: I want to say thank-you to everyone who sent me encouragement via e-mail or reviews. I really appreciate the feedback, constructive criticism and all. As you know, the story isn't really finished. Aneko, Chichiri, Tasuki, and Kouji still have a long journey ahead of them. I invite each of you to join me in the next 'book' of "Oracles of the Four Gods" called "Oracle's Destiny" and continue that journey with me. ~Sapphire


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